“For planetary defense”: ESA’s asteroid defense mission successfully launched into space

“For planetary defense”
ESA’s asteroid defense mission successfully launched into space

October 7, 2024, 6:37 p.m

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The European Space Agency’s “Hera” mission gets off to a happy start. The probe is intended to help defend our planet in the future. The focus is on asteroids that could wipe out life on Earth.

The defense against dangers from space is making progress: The European Space Agency ESA’s “Hera” mission to deflect asteroids has launched into space. This shows images from a live broadcast of the rocket launch at the ESA control center in Darmstadt. The probe is intended to investigate what the impact of the Dart probe on the asteroid Dimorphos two years ago caused. The results can help protect the Earth from devastating asteroid impacts in the future.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher called the mission “a step towards planetary defense.” The director of the control center, Rolf Densing, added: “It is the first time in human history that we have the opportunity to defend the planet.” According to Aschbacher, science currently does not know of any asteroids that will occur in the next three generations could have a deadly effect on Earth.

“Hera”, named after a Greek goddess, took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board a Falcon 9 rocket from the private space company SpaceX. The probe was developed and built in Bremen by the space company OHB. The instruments on board come from different companies.

Germany makes the highest contribution

“Hera” is scheduled to fly past Mars and, after more than two years, reach its destination in December 2026: Dimorphos, the smaller part of a double asteroid. “Hera” is controlled from the control center in Darmstadt. As the largest contributor, Germany is significantly involved in the 383 million euro mission.

The probe has various cameras as well as laser and radar-based measurement systems. “Hera” is intended to provide answers to what the approximately 150 meter long asteroid Dimorphos looks like now. And how much it went out of orbit – because an asteroid flying towards Earth could potentially be deflected with a similar collision.

Two years ago, the US space agency Nasa’s “Dart” probe landed a direct hit on the asteroid. According to NASA, one thing is clear: the asteroid was changed as a result, and its orbit around the larger asteroid Didymos also changed. Esa boss Aschbacher added that material was thrown out during the impact.

But so far it is unclear: How deep is the crater? Or was the asteroid even completely deformed? How heavy is he? And is it just rubble or rather a solid core surrounded by a layer of boulders? “Hera” will show all of this when it reaches its destination, some 195 million kilometers away.

More missions planned

First, “Hera” will look at the asteroid from a distance. Then the daughter probes “Juventas” and “Milani” are supposed to carry out a daring maneuver: land on Dimorphos. Since the attraction of the boulder is very weak, it is expected that “Milani” will jump away several times.

ESA boss Aschbacher considers “Hera” to be “a very important mission”. This is a first concrete step to defend the planet against asteroids. It is the first time that humanity has examined an asteroid that was hit by another man-made object.

Larger asteroids can have devastating effects. A hit around 66 million years ago is considered to be the main cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other living creatures. In 2013, an asteroid measuring just 20 meters exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk. Around 1,500 people were injured by the blast wave, mostly from shattering window glass.

“Hera” was designed and built in just four years. The probe is also intended to be a model for “Ramses” (“Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety”). This probe could examine the asteroid Apophis as it flies by Earth in 2029.

According to Esa, the chunk with a size of around 375 meters will next fly past Earth on April 13, 2029 – at a distance of only 32,000 kilometers. For comparison: the moon is on average 384,400 kilometers away, more than ten times as far.