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HE

Space probes·ESA

Hera

In transitLaunched in 2024·En route — arrival 2026

An ESA follow-up mission to the DART impact: it studies in detail the crater and the altered orbit of Dimorphos.

Main objectives

Measure the effects of the DART impact on asteroid Dimorphos (Hera).
Validate asteroid-deflection techniques through kinetic impact.
Map Didymos-Dimorphos for planetary defense.

Did you know?

NASA's DART in 2022 deflected Dimorphos by 33 minutes — the first demonstration of planetary defense.

Timeline

Oct 07, 2024

Hera launch

Falcon 9.

Dec 01, 2026

Arrival at Dimorphos

Instruments

[05]

DRACO

High-resolution camera/telescope for optical imaging and autonomous navigation (DART)

SMART Nav

Real-time autonomous navigation algorithm system guiding DART to impact

LICIACube

Italian CubeSat deployed before impact to image the collision and ejected debris cloud

AFC

Asteroid Framing Cameras for navigation and post-impact surface mapping (Hera)

JuRa

Low-frequency radar on the Juventas CubeSat to probe the asteroid's internal structure (Hera)

Discoveries

[02]

Mission milestones

[03]

Official sources