HERA missions really push the boundaries of planetary defense. The European Space Agency teams up with other international partners to investigate asteroid deflection in a way that’s never been done before.
These missions aim to prove kinetic impact methods can actually help protect Earth from asteroid threats. At the same time, they’re pushing space safety tech forward.
The HERA mission marks humanity’s first up-close study of a binary asteroid system for planetary defense. ESA built this spacecraft to check out what happened after NASA’s DART impact on Dimorphos, the smaller asteroid that orbits Didymos.
HERA’s main goal is to turn the DART experiment into a proven defense technique. The spacecraft will measure exactly how DART changed Dimorphos when it smashed into it back in 2022.
That data is crucial for future asteroid deflection missions. Without it, we’d be guessing.
HERA carries 12 specialized instruments to study what Dimorphos is made of and what’s going on inside. Two CubeSats ride along to give extra views during the asteroid survey.
These little satellites will study the surface and even measure Dimorphos’s gravity. It’s a lot for such tiny spacecraft.
HERA also shows off autonomous navigation around asteroids. Picture a self-driving car, but in deep space—making its own decisions about where to go and what to look at.
The HERA mission really highlights international teamwork in space safety. ESA leads, but NASA chips in with data from the earlier DART mission.
Japan’s JAXA adds a thermal imaging system to HERA’s payload. That brings in experience from Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission, which is pretty cool.
Several European countries take part in building and operating HERA. This spreads out the costs and helps everyone build up their planetary defense skills.
The mission kind of sets the stage for future international asteroid defense projects. It shows that deep space missions can actually work when agencies team up.
HERA is part of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) program. ESA and NASA team up here for the world’s first full-on test of asteroid deflection.
AIDA combines two spacecraft missions: NASA’s DART makes the kinetic impact, and HERA follows up with a detailed analysis of what happened.
The mission fits into ESA’s Space Safety Program, with a focus on developing tech to keep Earth safe from asteroids. HERA will get to Dimorphos in December 2026 and start its survey work.
This mission tests out methods that could someday save us from a real asteroid threat. Studying Dimorphos gives scientists the info they need to design better deflection missions down the road.
NASA’s DART spacecraft slammed into the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022. That was humanity’s first real asteroid deflection test.
Hera plans to swing by this binary asteroid system in 2026. The team will dig into the impact crater and measure exactly how the kinetic deflection worked.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was NASA’s first real planetary defense mission, launched in November 2021. DART traveled for ten months before reaching the Didymos system.
The spacecraft didn’t use any explosives or nukes—just pure kinetic energy. It crashed into Dimorphos at high speed, hoping to nudge its orbit around Didymos.
DART hit Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, going about 14,000 miles per hour. At the time, the asteroid system was about 7 million miles from Earth.
After the impact, ground telescopes confirmed that Dimorphos’s orbit around Didymos got shorter by 32 minutes. That blew past NASA’s minimum goal of 73 seconds.
The mission cost about $325 million. It showed that even a small spacecraft can actually change an asteroid’s path if you hit it just right.
DART’s crash left a big crater on Dimorphos and kicked up a ton of debris. The collision made a bright plume that telescopes on Earth spotted for weeks.
Early observations suggest the crater is several dozen meters wide. But honestly, telescopes on Earth just can’t measure it precisely from so far away.
The momentum transfer from DART to Dimorphos was bigger than scientists expected. They think the debris acted like rocket exhaust, giving an extra push—a “momentum multiplication effect.”
Dimorphos’s orbital speed around Didymos dropped by about 2.1 millimeters per second. That doesn’t sound like much, but it added up to a 32-minute change in the orbital period.
Now the moonlet follows a slightly different path around Didymos. Hera will map this new orbit in detail when it arrives.
LICIACube, a tiny Italian CubeSat, was DART’s only close-up witness. It deployed from DART just ten days before the big collision.
LICIACube snapped the only close-up pictures of DART’s final approach and impact with Dimorphos. Those images proved the collision happened as planned.
It also captured the immediate aftermath—the debris plume and ejected material. Ground telescopes couldn’t get those shots from millions of miles away.
The CubeSat sent its data back using NASA’s Deep Space Network. Those images let scientists confirm the impact and start analyzing how well the deflection worked.
LICIACube’s mission wrapped up soon after the impact. It just didn’t have the power or propulsion to keep going in deep space.
The Hera mission focuses on a unique binary near-Earth asteroid system: Didymos, a 780-meter primary body, and its 160-meter moonlet Dimorphos. This pair gives scientists a perfect lab for testing planetary defense and figuring out how binary asteroid systems come together.
Didymos is about 780 meters across—think “mountain-sized.” Dimorphos, its companion, is around 160 meters in diameter.
Didymos spins incredibly fast, finishing a full rotation in just 2.26 hours. That makes it the fastest-spinning asteroid any human spacecraft has ever visited.
The two bodies have pretty different surfaces. Didymos shows rocky terrain at higher spots and smoother areas near the equator. Dimorphos, on the other hand, is covered in boulders and loose rocks.
Scientists estimate Didymos’s surface is about 12.5 million years old. Dimorphos looks much younger—less than 300,000 years.
Both asteroids have surfaces that are shockingly weak—about 1,000 times less sturdy than dry sand on Earth. That makes landing or interacting with them a real challenge for future missions.
Didymos and Dimorphos are just one example of binary near-Earth asteroids. About 15% of near-Earth asteroids larger than 200 meters have a satellite.
This binary system probably formed when Didymos spun so fast it started shedding material from its equator. That debris eventually clumped together and became Dimorphos.
The timeline suggests Dimorphos formed fairly recently. Its young surface might mean it formed not long ago, or maybe resurfacing events wiped out older craters.
Both asteroids have similar boulders and compositions. That backs up the idea that Dimorphos got its material directly from Didymos.
Thermal fatigue keeps breaking down surface rocks on both bodies. That creates fine dust and slowly changes the surface over time.
NASA’s DART spacecraft hit Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, at 6.1 kilometers per second. That was the first real test of kinetic impact asteroid deflection.
The impact cut Dimorphos’s orbital period around Didymos by more than 30 minutes. That result was even bigger than scientists expected.
Earth-based telescopes and LICIACube confirmed the orbital change. The success showed that kinetic impactor techniques can really alter asteroid paths.
Scientists are still figuring out why the impact had such a big effect. The weak surface and rubble-pile structure probably helped.
On Didymos, researchers see boulder tracks moving toward the equator. These features help us understand how loose material behaves on small, low-gravity asteroids.
The Hera spacecraft is set for a two-year cruise to reach the Didymos system. The European Space Agency mapped out the mission with gravity assists and precise timing to test asteroid deflection for their space safety program.
Hera launched on October 7, 2024, starting its journey to Didymos. The spacecraft’s body measures 1.6 meters on each side, and its solar arrays stretch out to 11.5 meters.
The trip includes two big deep space maneuvers. The first one happens in late October 2024 to tweak the trajectory.
In March 2025, Hera swings by Mars and even flies past Deimos, Mars’s smaller moon.
A second deep space maneuver in February 2026 lines Hera up for its final approach. The spacecraft runs on solar power and hydrazine, built to handle temperatures from -100°C to +140°C.
ESA’s mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, manages everything. Three 35-meter antennas in Spain, Argentina, and Australia keep in touch with the spacecraft the whole way.
Hera arrives at the Didymos system in October 2026 using an impulsive rendezvous maneuver. The spacecraft has to deal with gravity that’s 40,000 times weaker than Earth’s.
It orbits the system’s center at just 12 centimeters per second. Mission planners set up a series of flybys—three days, then four days—bringing Hera within 20-30 kilometers of Dimorphos’s surface.
Two CubeSats, Juventas and Milani, deploy from Hera for close-up studies. These tiny satellites will try to land and gather detailed surface data.
Juventas goes into a polar orbit around Didymos and uses radar to study Dimorphos. Milani flies at lower altitudes, getting as close as 2 kilometers for high-res observations.
The mission marks humanity’s first deep dive into a binary asteroid system. Hera brings 12 instruments—spread across the main spacecraft and CubeSats—to examine the aftermath of NASA’s DART impact in 2022.
Some of the most impressive achievements? Validating kinetic impact asteroid deflection techniques—no small feat. The spacecraft shows off advanced guidance and navigation systems by fusing data from multiple sensors.
The CubeSats break new ground in deep space. Juventas uses the first gravimeter on an asteroid surface, and Milani gets the closest look at the DART impact site.
Mission planners even talk about a possible touchdown on Didymos at the end. They’d have to slow the spacecraft to a crawl—just centimeters per second—for a gentle surface contact, even though Hera doesn’t have specialized landing gear.
The HERA mission runs on a clever three-spacecraft system: a 1.2-ton mothership and two tiny CubeSats, both under 12 kg. This setup lets scientists analyze asteroids from different angles and with a bunch of specialized tools.
The HERA spacecraft acts as the main platform and communication hub for the whole mission. At 1.2 tons, it’s about the size of a desk and carries advanced data and power systems that keep everything running smoothly.
Solar arrays keep the lights on during the journey to Didymos. Hera keeps a steady link with Earth and manages all the data streaming in from the CubeSats.
The mothership’s design fits two six-unit CubeSats for launch and transit. Each one tucks into a compartment about the size of a briefcase before deployment near the asteroids.
The main spacecraft handles navigation and communications. It also acts as a relay for CubeSat operations in the low-gravity environment around Didymos and Dimorphos.
Juventas focuses on analyzing Dimorphos, the smaller asteroid, using advanced radar. The Danish-Romanian team designed it to run low-frequency radar scans—like giving the asteroid an X-ray.
Juventas teams up with the main HERA spacecraft to do satellite-to-satellite radio-science experiments. These help measure Dimorphos’s gravity field and internal makeup.
It orbits close to the 160-meter moonlet before going in for a controlled landing. Inertial sensors record what happens when it hits the surface and any bounces that follow.
After landing, Juventas spends several days on the surface. It sends back data about what Dimorphos is made of, relaying everything through Hera.
The HERA system leans heavily on autonomy, since talking to Earth takes too long during asteroid operations. Each spacecraft decides on navigation, instruments, and data collection by itself.
Onboard autonomy keeps all three spacecraft coordinated, with the main Hera craft managing CubeSat deployments and keeping the group together around the binary asteroid.
Navigation cameras and laser radar help steer the landings on both asteroids. These systems adapt on the fly to unexpected surface conditions and gravity quirks.
This level of autonomy pushes mission capabilities past what ground-controlled spacecraft can do. It’s a must for future deep space missions that need to think for themselves.
Hera packs five main instruments to map asteroid surfaces, probe interiors, and collect composition data. Visual cameras, thermal sensors, and laser range finders all work together to build detailed asteroid models.
The Asteroid Framing Camera (AFC) is Hera’s main eye. JenaOptronik built it to snap high-res images in visible light, from 420 to 850 nanometers.
It produces 1020 x 1020 pixel images with a 5.5-degree field of view. The 10.6 cm focal length and 2.5 cm aperture bring sharp details from a range of distances.
Key specs:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Angular Resolution | 94.1 microrad/pixel |
| Mass | Less than 1.5 kg |
| Distance Performance | 94.1 cm/pixel at 10 km |
The AFC helps with both navigation and science. Mission planners use its images to steer Hera around Didymos, and scientists dig into the surface features it reveals.
Hera brings two special sensors for temperature and composition. The Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI), from JAXA, checks surface temperatures in the 8-14 micrometer range.
TIRI uses a Lyndred PICO1024 Gen2 detector with 1024 x 768 pixels. It hits 3K absolute temperature accuracy from 150 to 450 Kelvin. Its 13.3 x 10.0-degree field of view delivers detailed thermal maps.
The HyperScout hyperspectral imager covers 45 visible and near-infrared bands. Cosine Research in the Netherlands developed it, and it sees from 400 to 1000 nanometers with a 31 x 16-degree field of view.
These sensors reveal what the asteroids are made of and how they behave thermally. Scientists use this info to piece together how these rocks formed and changed over billions of years.
The Planetary Altimeter (PALT) works as Hera’s LIDAR system. It measures distances by timing laser pulses at a 1.535 micrometer wavelength.
PALT sends out 100 microjoule laser pulses, each just 2 nanoseconds wide. It works from 100 meters up to 14 kilometers, with better than 50 cm accuracy. At 1 km, its 1 milliradian footprint makes a 1-meter spot.
The instrument helps with navigation during approaches and landings. It also gathers scientific data on surface topography and reflectance.
PALT’s shape models and mass calculations let scientists figure out asteroid density and interior structure, which is a first.
Hera will take the first close look at an asteroid after a kinetic impact. It’ll study the crater left by DART’s smash into Dimorphos and see how the collision changed the asteroid’s structure. The spacecraft will measure exactly what happened to the surface and inside this 151-meter moonlet.
The team’s main goal? Examine the crater DART made when it hit Dimorphos in September 2022. Hera’s instruments will measure the crater’s size, depth, and shape to get a sense of how kinetic impacts mess with small asteroids.
Scientists need this data to check if their computer models for planetary defense hold up. The crater’s dimensions reveal how much stuff got blasted out and how well DART transferred its momentum.
Key measurements:
The spacecraft will map the crater with high-res cameras and laser altimeters. These tools will show if the impact made a simple bowl or something more complicated.
Hera will analyze the material thrown off Dimorphos by DART. This helps reveal the asteroid’s interior and how it breaks apart under impact.
The mission will track where the ejected material landed. Some debris might have built new features or changed Dimorphos’s shape beyond just making a crater.
Spectroscopy will identify what the ejected stuff is made of. If the inside differs from the surface, that’s big news for planning future deflection missions.
The spacecraft will also check for debris clouds or particles still circling the binary system. These observations help scientists figure out the long-term impacts of kinetic hits on small asteroids.
Hera’s investigation goes beyond the immediate crater. In low gravity, seismic waves from the impact probably rippled through the whole asteroid.
Hera will map surface changes on Dimorphos—looking for cracks, moved boulders, or other structural shifts from the impact. Its radar will peer below the surface to spot density changes and fractures.
Surface mapping priorities:
The mission will figure out if DART’s impact reshaped the asteroid globally or if the effects stayed local. That’s crucial for understanding how kinetic deflection works on different asteroids.
The two CubeSats will add extra perspectives, flying close to the surface where it’d be too risky for Hera itself.
The HERA missions run on a collaborative management structure with the European Space Agency and international partners. Dr. Patrick Michel leads the science from France’s Côte d’Azur Observatory, while ESA handles project management from its tech center in the Netherlands.
Dr. Patrick Michel at the University of Côte d’Azur leads the HERA mission as Principal Investigator. He works closely with ESA’s Project Scientist and Mission Manager to keep the science moving.
The mission uses a working group structure instead of the usual instrument-based teams. Michel acts as the main link between science and ESA management, sitting in on Council meetings and guiding operations.
The Science Management Board includes Michel, the ESA Project Scientist, and an Advisory Board. This group oversees the Investigation Team, which has Working Group Chairs and instrument reps. The structure lets experts focus on areas like impact modeling or ground-based observations.
ESA appointed a Science Operation Working Group Chair to handle the nuts and bolts of running the mission. That role keeps science goals and practical needs aligned.
The HERA mission brings in a lot of international talent. NASA picked twelve scientists from U.S. institutions like Johns Hopkins APL and JPL to join the team.
Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo, Kobe University, and JAXA’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science also play a big role. These partnerships build on what Japan learned with Hayabusa2.
Key international team members:
The mission draws on expertise from NASA’s DART impact mission. This collaboration lets Hera build on DART’s results and collect new data.
The European Space Research and Technology Center in the Netherlands manages HERA. This facility coordinates operations and houses the project team for spacecraft development and launch prep.
ESA’s ESRIN Center in Italy helps with data processing and mission analysis. Their experience in Earth observation and planetary science supports mission planning and data work.
European research institutions join in through working groups. The University of Bern leads impact modeling, and the Côte d’Azur Observatory runs ground-based observation campaigns.
German institutions like DLR bring spacecraft systems and planetary science know-how. Italian partners from INAF add asteroid expertise from past missions and ground studies.
ESA’s Hera mission has delivered groundbreaking data about asteroid composition and structure. The mission’s findings push our understanding of kinetic impact techniques for planetary defense. Early results from Hera’s Mars flyby and asteroid observations offer crucial insights for keeping Earth safe from near-Earth asteroids.
Hera stands out as the first mission built to measure the subsurface and internal structures of asteroids using advanced radar. It carries the JuRA low-frequency radar on its Juventas CubeSat, aiming to map Dimorphos in greater detail than ever before.
Scientists hope to figure out key asteroid characteristics like internal porosity, density variations, and structural composition. These measurements should reveal how an asteroid’s physical makeup affects momentum transfer during impacts.
The mission will produce detailed maps of both Didymos and Dimorphos, with spatial resolution reaching 10 centimeters near where DART hit. With this level of detail, researchers can finally analyze surface materials and subsurface layers that play a role in deflection.
During the cruise phase, early instrument tests have already snapped images of asteroids (1126) Otero and (18805) Kellyday. These observations show the spacecraft can study all sorts of asteroid types across the solar system.
The DART-Hera collaboration brings the first real-world test of kinetic impact methods for asteroid deflection. Hera’s measurements will show exactly how much momentum NASA’s DART spacecraft delivered to Dimorphos during their 2022 crash.
Scientists want to see what portion of kinetic energy broke up the asteroid versus what sent debris flying into space. This info is crucial for planning future planetary defense missions against risky near-earth asteroids.
The mission tries out autonomous navigation software that reconstructs its surroundings with multiple sensors. This tech lets spacecraft operate on their own near small bodies, which is pretty important for quick responses to new threats.
Hera’s two CubeSats show off distributed mission concepts where several spacecraft work together. Milani specializes in spectral analysis, while Juventas focuses on subsurface measurements. Coordinated missions like this really boost scientific return.
Hera’s results will directly shape how space agencies tackle asteroid threats near Earth. The mission gives us the first in-depth look at how effective kinetic impactors really are, setting a baseline for future defense strategies.
Understanding an asteroid’s internal structure helps scientists predict how different near-earth asteroids react to deflection. Dense, solid asteroids don’t behave the same way as loose rubble piles when hit by a spacecraft.
The mission’s gravity field measurements of Dimorphos will allow precise calculations of mass and density. These numbers help determine the best impact velocities and spacecraft masses for deflecting similar objects.
Hera’s technology demos show that even small spacecraft can operate effectively around asteroids. This becomes vital for checking out newly discovered near-earth asteroids before they get too close for comfort.
The Hera mission acts as a testbed for breakthrough technologies that could change deep space exploration. The spacecraft puts autonomous navigation systems through their paces, demonstrates advanced inter-satellite communication between the main craft and its CubeSats, and tries out new data fusion capabilities in the tough asteroid environment.
Hera pioneers autonomous navigation technology that works kind of like driverless cars, but in space. The spacecraft maneuvers around the Didymos asteroid system without direct input from Earth.
This tech uses real-time data fusion, pulling in info from multiple sensors to piece together a detailed picture of the asteroid environment. It processes everything instantly to make navigation calls.
The onboard autonomy system spots and isolates faults as they happen. That’s essential for missions where delays make remote control impossible.
Hera tests proximity operations in extremely low gravity. The asteroid’s weak gravity makes maneuvering tricky, which helps prep technology for future asteroid missions and even Mars.
The autonomous navigation system could benefit Mars Sample Return missions. It also supports future space servicing vehicles that need to work independently.
Hera is the first ESA mission to deploy CubeSats in deep space. These shoebox-sized satellites communicate directly with the main spacecraft while flying near the asteroid.
The inter-satellite communication system keeps several spacecraft connected in real time. This network allows coordinated observations from different spots around Didymos.
Each CubeSat stays in constant contact with the main Hera craft. The links have to work reliably despite deep space conditions and possible debris interference.
This technology opens the door to distributed mission architectures. Future exploration could use teams of small spacecraft working together instead of sending just one big vehicle.
The communication system supports new kinds of exploration with distributed systems. Agencies can send swarms of smaller, specialized craft rather than relying on a single platform.
Hera features an advanced data and power management system that juggles operations for multiple spacecraft at once. The system distributes power between the main craft and its CubeSats.
Solar arrays keep the mission powered up the whole way. These panels stay efficient during the long trip to Didymos and while working in the asteroid’s shadow.
The data fusion algorithm is probably the mission’s biggest tech leap. This software combines sensor data in real time to give a full view of the situation. It processes navigation, science, and system health info all at once.
Power management gets tricky during CubeSat deployment and operation. The system has to balance energy between propulsion, communications, science instruments, and CubeSat support.
These integrated data and power systems help prep technology for Mars missions and servicing operations. The advances cut costs and boost reliability for future deep space trips.
The Hera mission is just the starting point for a broader planetary defense program meant to shield Earth from asteroid threats. Future efforts will zero in on developing reliable deflection methods and building international partnerships to tackle space-based risks in a coordinated way.
NASA’s DART and ESA’s Hera missions lay the groundwork for standard asteroid deflection protocols. Scientists are analyzing how much momentum DART transferred to Dimorphos to build models for future missions.
The European Space Agency and NASA are working on kinetic impactor technology that can launch quickly when new threats pop up. This method uses spacecraft to smash into asteroids at high speed, nudging their orbits away from Earth.
Engineers are also looking into gravity tractor methods for smaller asteroids. These missions would park a spacecraft near an asteroid and use gravity to slowly change its path.
Nuclear deflection systems are still on the table for the biggest threats. These could vaporize asteroid material or deliver a huge momentum boost when kinetic options fall short.
Data from Hera’s close-up look at the DART impact crater will help scientists predict how different asteroid types react to deflection. Mission planners will use this knowledge to pick the right technique for each asteroid.
The AIDA partnership between NASA and ESA shows that planetary defense needs global teamwork. Space agencies are now sharing asteroid detection and deflection data through joint systems.
The AMON-RA+ international coordination group now includes ESA’s RAMSES mission, NASA’s APEX mission, and JAXA’s DESTINY+ mission. Together, they’re gearing up to study asteroid Apophis during its close pass in 2029.
Agencies are setting up standardized threat assessment protocols so info about new asteroid threats gets shared fast. Observatories around the world supply tracking data to keep orbital predictions sharp.
ESA and NASA have launched joint training programs for planetary defense operations. These programs make sure international teams can jump into action quickly using proven deflection techniques.
Future space safety programs will roll out automated detection networks across the solar system to spot asteroid threats decades in advance. Early warnings give us time for multiple deflection attempts if the first try doesn’t work.
The planetary defense setup includes permanent deflection systems stationed at key points in space. These can respond to new threats without waiting for slow mission development and launches.
NASA and ESA are developing asteroid mining technologies that support both planetary defense and resource extraction. Mining could change asteroid orbits while grabbing materials for space construction.
Advanced artificial intelligence systems will analyze asteroid data to automatically suggest the best intervention strategies. These systems should cut response times and improve mission success for planetary defense.
Long-term plans include building lunar-based launch facilities for defense missions. Launching from the Moon lets us deploy deflection spacecraft faster and avoids Earth’s atmosphere during crucial phases.
HERA missions move space exploration forward and help us prepare for asteroid threats. These programs test isolation technologies and develop planetary defense capabilities through asteroid deflection research.
ESA’s HERA mission focuses on planetary defense by investigating the impact site created by NASA’s DART spacecraft. The team will examine Dimorphos, a small asteroid hit in 2022.
HERA carries 12 science instruments to study what happened after the DART collision. The spacecraft will measure how much material the impact knocked off the asteroid.
The mission wants to determine the “beta factor”—the extra momentum from ejected material during impact. This helps scientists figure out how well kinetic impacts work for deflecting dangerous asteroids.
HERA will also test new deep space tech, including inter-satellite communications. Two CubeSats will split from the main craft to do their own research while staying in radio contact.
HERA gives us the data needed to turn asteroid deflection from an experiment into a reliable defense strategy. The mission will check if DART’s impact made a crater or totally reshaped Dimorphos.
Scientists need precise measurements of the asteroid’s mass, composition, and internal structure. These details guide how future deflection missions should be set up.
The mission will slash current orbital measurement uncertainties from around 10% to much more exact numbers. While ground-based telescopes saw DART shorten Dimorphos’ orbit by 33 minutes, HERA will nail down the details.
HERA studies the smallest asteroid ever visited by humans—just 150 meters across. Thousands of similar asteroids are still undetected, though they could cause serious regional damage.
HERA brings the first ESA CubeSats into deep space, each with advanced inter-satellite communication systems. These small craft keep radio contact with their mothership while working independently.
The mission tests autonomous navigation like self-driving cars. HERA combines data from cameras, laser altimeters, and thermal imagers to navigate safely around asteroids.
The Juventas CubeSat carries advanced radar tech that can probe up to 100 meters inside Dimorphos. It’s the smallest radar ever flown in space and the first to scan an asteroid’s interior.
The GRASS instrument will make the first direct gravity measurements on an asteroid surface. This helps scientists understand asteroid composition and structure for future missions.
NASA runs ground-based HERA habitats that simulate deep space conditions for crew training. These facilities keep participants isolated for long stretches to study psychological and physical effects.
The habitat program tests what it’s like to deal with communication delays, cramped spaces, and limited resources—just like real missions. Participants carry out realistic mission activities under controlled conditions.
HERA habitat studies look at how isolation affects team dynamics and individual performance. This research helps NASA design better crew selection, training, and support for long trips.
Multiple mission campaigns try out different crew mixes and mission lengths. The results give us critical info for planning Mars missions and other long space journeys.
Ground-based HERA habitat missions usually run for about 45 days. Each mission puts four people together in a tight space, so they get a real feel for what deep space travel might be like.
The crew isn’t just a random mix—they often include scientists, engineers, and sometimes medical professionals. That way, the team reflects what you’d actually see on a real space exploration mission.
The ESA’s HERA spacecraft mission to the Didymos system will take around four years from start to finish. ESA launched the spacecraft in October 2024, and it should arrive at the asteroid system by late 2026.
Eighteen ESA member states and Japan have joined forces for HERA. This international effort really shows how space agencies can pull together when it counts.
ESA launched the HERA spacecraft successfully, and right now, it’s making its way toward the Didymos asteroid system. We’ll see the mission’s major scientific results once HERA arrives at the asteroids in 2026.
Researchers studying HERA habitats on Earth have uncovered some interesting things about crew psychology during isolation. They noticed that people’s communication and stress responses shift quite a bit when they’re stuck together for long periods.
The DART mission’s impact kicked up a debris plume that stretched more than 10,000 kilometers into space. That collision also sent 37 meter-sized boulders flying and actually made Dimorphos’ orbital period 33 minutes shorter.
Earlier habitat studies showed that crews can get used to tight spaces, though they definitely need good support systems. These lessons are shaping how teams design spacecraft and train astronauts for deep space adventures.
