A crash-scene investigator for planetary defence
Hera
Hera launched in October 2024 to visit the binary asteroid Didymos and its small moon Dimorphos — the target that NASA's DART spacecraft deliberately struck in September 2022, shortening Dimorphos's orbit.
Hera will measure the aftermath in detail, turning that experiment into a reliable technique for deflecting a dangerous asteroid.
Key facts
- Agency
- ESA
- Launched
- 2024-10-07
- Launch vehicle
- Falcon 9
- Power
- Solar arrays
- Mission type
- Asteroid rendezvous
- CubeSats carried
- Milani and Juventas
- Status
- Approaching the Didymos asteroid system
Where it is now
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Didymos–Dimorphos, arriving in late 2026.
Mission objectives
Hera will determine Dimorphos's mass, internal structure and the shape of the crater DART left, so scientists can calculate exactly how much momentum the impact transferred.
The spacecraft
Besides its own cameras and instruments, Hera carries two small CubeSats, Milani and Juventas, which will fly closer to the asteroids; Juventas carries a radar to probe Dimorphos's interior.
Journey so far
Hera flew past Mars in March 2025, imaging the small moon Deimos on the way. Its arrival at Didymos is scheduled for late 2026.
Route and timeline
- 2024-10-07Launch on Falcon 9, Cape Canaveral
- 2025-03-12Mars flyby, imaging the moon Deimos
- 2026-12Arrival at Didymosplanned
Surprising facts about Hera
- DART's impact shortened Dimorphos's 12-hour orbit by about 32 minutes.
- Hera is named after the Greek queen of the gods.
- It is part of the first international test of a planetary-defence technique.