In a significant leap for planetary defense, Europe's Hera asteroid probe launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday. This marks the beginning of a two-year journey to revisit the asteroid Dimorphos, which was altered by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2022.
The Hera mission aims to assess the long-term effects of the DART collision, providing crucial data to determine if small asteroids can be effectively deflected to prevent potential threats to Earth. The probe's launch at approximately 3 p.m. GMT was streamed live, highlighting the global collaboration in space exploration.
The European Space Agency (ESA) chose SpaceX to bridge the gap in Europe's access to space, ensuring the timely deployment of Hera. Dimorphos, a moonlet of the near-Earth asteroid Didymos, was struck by the DART spacecraft at a staggering speed of 22,530 kilometers per hour, altering its trajectory and shape.
Built by Germany's OHB SE, Hera will conduct a detailed post-impact survey, expanding on the experimental collision initiated by NASA. This mission is a pivotal step in developing a repeatable strategy for planetary defense, safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid threats.
With over half a million asteroids in our solar system and more than 25,000 classified as near-Earth objects, ESA monitors over 1,000 on its risk list. Missions like Hera play a critical role in understanding and mitigating the risks posed by these celestial bodies.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com