ESA’s Hera spacecraft launches to help advance planetary defense

1 hr ago

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

A new mission is underway to help protect the Earth from asteroids. The spacecraft “Hera” started its mission to revisit the scene of a cosmic crash when blasted off on Monday, Oct. 7.

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The European Space Agency’s Hera mission is a follow-up to NASA’s “Dart” mission in 2022. During the previous mission, an asteroid was successfully knocked off its orbit by forcing a satellite to crash into it.

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This new ESA mission is part two of the mission. It’s all in an effort to improve planetary defense strategy. Scientists are eager to see how effective the satellite strike was, just in case they need to deflect a real asteroid threat. Hera is now on a two-year journey to the asteroid to study the wreckage.

The ESA is calling the Hera a $400 million “crash scene investigation.” When Hera arrives in 2026, it will closely survey the site for six months and release smaller satellites for closer inspections of the asteroid.

The mission could be critical for future planetary defense.

Tags: Aerospace, asteroid, Double Asteroid Redirection Test, European Space Agency, Space Debris

[Karah Rucker]

A NEW MISSION TO PROTECT EARTH FROM ASTEROIDS IS UNDERWAY!

A SPACECRAFT BLASTED OFF ON MONDAY TO REVISIT THE SCENE OF A COSMIC CRASH.

THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY’S HERA’S MISSION IS A FOLLOW-UP TO NASA’S ‘DART’ MISSION IN 20-22.

DURING THE DART MISSION – AN ASTEROID WAS SUCCESSFULLY KNOCKED OFF ITS ORBIT BY FORCING A SATELLITE TO CRASH INTO IT.

THIS E-S-A MISSION IS PART TWO.

IT’S ALL IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE OUR PLANETARY DEFENSE STRATEGY.

SCIENTISTS ARE EAGER TO SEE HOW EFFECTIVE THE DART STRIKE WAS IN CASE WE EVER NEEDED TO DEFLECT A REAL ASTEROID THREAT.

HERA IS NOW ON A TWO-YEAR JOURNEY TO THE ASTEROID TO STUDY THE WRECKAGE.

ESA IS CALLING HERA A FOUR-HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLAR “CRASH SCENE INVESTIGATION.”

WHEN HERA ARRIVES IN 20-26, IT WILL CLOSELY SURVEY THE SITE FOR SIX MONTHS AND RELEASE SMALLER SATELLITES FOR EVEN CLOSER INSPECTIONS.

THIS MISSION COULD BE CRITICAL FOR FUTURE PLANETARY DEFENSE.

WE’LL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON HERA’S JOURNEY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS!

FOR SAN, I’M KARAH RUCKER.

ESA’s Hera spacecraft launches to help advance planetary defense

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