In an exciting advancement for planetary defense, the European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, is poised to launch the Hera spacecraft on Monday, October 7, 2023, at 10:52 AM from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40. This mission follows NASA's groundbreaking DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) that successfully tested the ability to alter an asteroid's trajectory.

In September 2022, the DART spacecraft collided with the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos—a part of the Didymos asteroid system—demonstrating that a kinetic impactor could indeed affect an asteroid's path. The outcome? The impact shortened Dimorphos' orbit around its larger counterpart Didymos by about 32 minutes, marking a historic moment in planetary defense.

Hera will delve deeper into these findings. With a robust team of 12 NASA scientists supporting the mission, the spacecraft is engineered to conduct detailed observations of both Dimorphos and Didymos upon its arrival in late 2026. It will gather crucial data on the lasting effects of the DART impact, including the mass of both bodies and runoff from the collision site, ultimately assessing the viability of the kinetic impact method as a protective strategy against potential asteroid threats to Earth.

Hera is designed with a box-shaped base and features two solar panel wings that expand to 13 square meters, providing power for its ambitious tasks. The spacecraft weighs around 2,676 pounds and will deploy sophisticated instruments, including two Asteroid Framing Cameras, a hyperspectral imager, and a thermal infrared imager, to gather and analyze the asteroid system's nature. Moreover, it will carry two miniature satellites, Juvenitas and Milani, to assist in the mission.

While the Hera mission is sending researchers into a thrilling new frontier, it is vital to note that there is currently no asteroid threat to Earth—this mission serves purely as a precautionary experiment.

As excitement builds for the launch, recent news surrounding SpaceX reminds us of the complexities of space exploration. Following the successful launch of NASA Crew-9 to the International Space Station, the Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage experienced a minor issue with its deorbit burn. Fortunately, this did not affect the crewed mission, and the FAA has reviewed safety measures allowing the Hera mission to proceed without delay.

Get ready to witness history as the Hera spacecraft embarks on a journey that could redefine how humanity protects itself from potential celestial threats!