13/03/2025 (Agence Europe) – During its flyby of Mars on Wednesday 12 March, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera planetary defence probe used its payload for the first time for scientific purposes beyond Earth and the Moon. Using three instruments, Hera has photographed the surface of the Red Planet as well as the face of Deimos, the smaller and more mysterious of Mars’ two moons, the ESA announced on Thursday 13 March. Travelling at 9 km/s in relation to Mars, Hera photographed Deimos from a distance of 1,000 km, observing the opposite side of the moon, which is less visible from Mars. Hera, launched on 7 October 2024, is on its way to visit the asteroid Dimorphos, the first object in the Solar System to have its orbit modified by human activity, following the impact of NASA’s DART mission in 2022 (see EUROPE 13498/20). (CG)