In a landmark collaboration, Europe’s Hera asteroid probe launched from Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday at around 3 p.m. GMT, embarking on a two-year mission to study asteroid deflection.
The European Space Agency (ESA) selected Elon Musk’s SpaceX to fill a gap in Europe’s own access to space, marking a significant step in international space cooperation.
Hera is set to revisit the asteroid Dimorphos, a moonlet of Didymos, which was intentionally impacted by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft in 2022. The DART mission was a proof-of-concept to determine if a spacecraft collision could nudge a celestial object off course, potentially preventing future asteroid impacts on Earth.
On September 26, 2022, the DART spacecraft collided with Dimorphos at about 22,530 kilometers per hour, approximately 11 million kilometers from Earth. The impact not only altered the asteroid’s trajectory but also changed its shape, as scientists reported in March.
Hera’s mission involves conducting a detailed post-impact survey of Dimorphos. Built by Germany’s OHB SE, the probe aims to expand upon NASA’s experimental findings, contributing to a repeatable strategy for planetary defense.
With over half a million asteroids in the solar system and more than 25,000 classified as near-Earth objects, planetary defense has become a critical focus. Over 1,000 asteroids are on ESA’s risk list, necessitating close monitoring.
This mission underscores the importance of international collaboration in space exploration and the ongoing efforts to protect our planet from potential asteroid threats.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
