European Spacecraft Hera Observes Asteroid After NASA Impact
Summary
European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft is studying the asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos up close after NASA’s DART impact changed the moonlet’s orbit in 2022. The mission will move even nearer next month to examine the crash site and collect detailed scientific data.
Key Points
- ESA says the Hera spacecraft is now observing Didymos and Dimorphos from 25 to 30 kilometers away.
- NASA’s DART mission deliberately struck Dimorphos in 2022 as a test of planetary defense.
- The impact shortened Dimorphos’s orbit around Didymos and altered its path around the Sun.
- Hera carries 25 scientific instruments and two CubeSats and will approach as close as 20 kilometers next month.
