The European Space Agency’s (ESA) first global defence spacecraft, Hera, was successfully launched on Monday 7 October aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida.
The aim of the Hera probe is to carry out the first detailed study of a “binary” (or double-body) asteroid, Didymos, which orbits a smaller body, Dimorphos. In 2022, Dimorphos became the first object in the Solar System to have its orbit modified by human activity, following the impact of NASA’s DART mission. Hera should reach its target in the last quarter of 2026.
Hera aims to gather crucial missing data on Dimorphos for scientists, with the aim of confirming that kinetic deflection is a reliable planetary defence technique.
It will also carry out complex technological experiments in deep space, including the deployment of two CubeSats (small satellites) to obtain additional scientific data. The main probe will also attempt “autonomous” navigation around the asteroids, using visual tracking.
Eighteen ESA countries and Japan are taking part in Hera. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)