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WG3K > ANS 20.10.24 18:54l 20 Lines 3656 Bytes #24 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS294.5
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Subj: European Spacecraft Launches to Investigate NASA's Asteroid
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Sent: 241020/1749Z 9336@WG3K.#SMD.MD.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.24
A European spacecraft, along with two CubeSats, has launched to investigate the aftermath of NASA's first planetary defense mission, known as DART. The European Space Agency's Hera mission took off on October 7, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission aims to study the consequences of NASA's 2022 mission, which deliberately crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos, changing its orbit.
The Hera mission, slated to arrive at Dimorphos and its larger companion asteroid Didymos in 2026, is expected to offer a detailed "crash scene investigation," according to European scientists. NASA's DART mission had tested whether a kinetic impact, or crashing a spacecraft into a celestial body at high speeds, could alter the object's trajectory. While neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, Dimorphos was chosen for the experiment because of its size, which is comparable to asteroids that could potentially be hazardous in the future.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera-Spacecraft-U...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera-Spacecraft-Undergoes-Vibration-Testing.jpg
Hera's main spacecraft undergoes vibration testing at ESA's ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands. [Credit: ESAhttps://x.com/esa/SJM Photography]
Observations following DART's collision with Dimorphos in September 2022 revealed that the spacecraft succeeded in altering the asteroid's orbital period by about 32 to 33 minutes. However, many questions remain unanswered, such as whether the impact merely left a crater or completely reshaped Dimorphos. The Hera mission is tasked with solving these mysteries by providing detailed data on the structure and composition of both asteroids, which will further refine planetary defense strategies.
Hera is scheduled to reach the Didymos system in late 2026, after a mid-March 2025 flyby of Mars to gain the necessary momentum. During the flyby, Hera will test its suite of instruments and observe Mars' moon Deimos, capturing data that will support Japan's upcoming Martian Moons eXploration mission. Once Hera arrives at the Didymos system, it will spend six weeks conducting surveys of both asteroids, using a variety of instruments to study their shapes, masses, and thermal properties.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera_Milani_CubeS...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Hera_Milani_CubeSat_Team.jpg
The Milani CubeSat will perform close-up mineral prospecting of the Dimorphos asteroid and survey its surrounding dust. [Credit: ESAhttps://x.com/esa]
Hera will also release two CubeSats, Juventas and Milani, to conduct more specific investigations. Juventas will use radar to probe the interior of Dimorphos, while Milani will study the mineral composition and dust environment of both asteroids. These CubeSats will communicate their findings to Hera and relay the data back to Earth, providing scientists with unprecedented insights into the double-asteroid system.
Ultimately, the Hera mission could end with experimental landings on either Didymos or Dimorphos, further extending its ability to study the asteroids up close. Scientists hope the data collected will deepen understanding of how asteroid deflection technology can be used to protect Earth from future threats. As Patrick Michel, principal investigator of the Hera mission, noted, while DART was a success, Hera will complete the story by offering crucial details that could inspire future planetary defense initiatives.
[ANS thanks Ashley Strickland, CNNhttps://www.cnn.com/, for the above information]
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