Hera to measure Dimorphos space rock that Dart probe deliberately hit

The successful DART mission likely made Dimorphos' shape more 'askew' and eccentric.

This is the last complete image of the asteroid Dimorphos, as seen by our Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) 2 seconds before impact.

NASA's 2022 DART mission has drastically altered the shape and orbit of the asteroid moon Dimorphos, revealing new insights into planetary defence and asteroid dynamics.

NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join ESA’s (European Space Agency) Hera mission, which is scheduled to launch in October 2024. Hera will study the binary asteroid system Didymos, including the moonlet Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft on Sept. 26, 2022. The objectives of DART and Hera […]