Hera asteroid mission goes on trial

24/7 Space News

Hera asteroid mission goes on trial

Hera getting checked out at ESA's ESTEC test centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

Hera asteroid mission goes on trial
by Staff Writers
Paris (ESA) Oct 24, 2023

At some point, statistically speaking, a large asteroid will impact Earth. Whether that's tomorrow, in ten years, or a problem for our descendants, ESA is getting prepared.

As part of the world's first test of asteroid deflection, ESA's Hera mission will perform a detailed post-impact survey of Dimorphos - the 160-metre asteroid struck, and successfully deflected, by NASA's DART spacecraft.

Hera will soon study the aftermath. Launching in October 2024, Hera will turn this grand-scale experiment into a well-understood and hopefully repeatable planetary defence technique.

But before Hera and its two CubeSats fly, they're rigorously tested at ESA's ESTEC test centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. From the force and noise of the rocket take-off to the sustained vacuum and temperature extremes of deep space, all aspects of Hera's functioning are checked before they begin their journey, alone in space.

Related Links
Hera at ESA
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters

RELATED CONTENT

The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.

UArizona researchers probe how a piece of the moon became a near-Earth asteroid
Tucson AZ (SPX) Oct 24, 2023
In 2021, a team of University of Arizona astronomers suggested that a recently discovered near-Earth asteroid, Kamo`oalewa, could be a chunk of the moon. Two years after the striking discovery, another UArizona research group has found that a rare pathway could have enabled this to happen. So far, only distant asteroids from beyond the orbit of Mars have been considered a source of near-Earth asteroids, said Renu Malhotra, Regents Professor of Planetary Sciences and a senior author on the paper. ... read more

UK and Axiom sign agreement on plans for historic human spaceflight mission

CRS-29 mission flies research to the Space Station

India launches key test for manned orbital mission

NASA improves GIANT optical navigation technology for future missions

'No prospects': Russians slowly leaving legendary spaceport city

SpaceX Achieves Back-to-Back Starlink Satellite Launches to Expand Global Internet Coverage

UK plans space mission after striking deal with US firm

New US rocket Vulcan Centaur set to launch on December 24

Sampling unique bedrock at the margin unit

Year 2075: Martian rovers saved from cyber attack

Mystery of the Martian core solved

Short but Sweet; Sols 3987-3988

China discloses tasks of Shenzhou-17 crewed space mission

Next-generation rocket for China's manned space missions on track

Final rehearsal for Shenzhou XVII flight completed

Chinese sci-fi fans over the moon at Chengdu Worldcon

Fugro SpAARC's operations set to grow with new funding from Western Australian Govt

French Space Days India 2023 celebrates Indo-French collaboration

Follow NASA's Starling Swarm in Real Time

Launch of Ovzon 3 targeted for as soon as December 2023

Researchers developing 'revolutionary' multi-material for light-based 3D printing

Tightbeam tech set to revolutionize Global Marine Internet through Aalyria-HICO Partnership

NASA's First Two-way End-to-End Laser Communications System

Light-powered multi-level memory tech revolutionizes data processing

ET phone Dublin? Astrophysicists scan the Galaxy for signs of life

Exoplanet-informed research helps search for radio technosignatures

Webb detects tiny quartz crystals in clouds of hot gas giant

Extreme habitats: Microbial life in Old Faithful Geyser

How NASA is protecting Europa Clipper from space radiation

NASA's Webb Discovers New Feature in Jupiter's Atmosphere

Plot thickens in hunt for ninth planet

Large mound structures on Kuiper belt object Arrokoth may have common origin

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.