The ESA Hera Mission: Detailed Characterization of the DART Impact Outcome and of the Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos

Abstract Hera is a planetary defense mission under development in the Space Safety and Security Program of the European Space Agency for launch in 2024 October. It will rendezvous in late 2026 December with the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos and in particular its moon, Dimorphos, which will be impacted by NASA’s DART spacecraft on 2022 September 26 as the first asteroid deflection test. The main goals of Hera are the detailed characterization of the physical properties of Didymos and Dimorphos and of the crater made by the DART mission, as well as measurement of the momentum transfer efficiency resulting from DART’s impact. The data from the Hera spacecraft and its two CubeSats will also provide significant…

• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 870377
• AO
  Academy of Finland

  Awards: 335595, 335595
• CN
  Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales

  Award: 870377
• AV
  Akademie Věd České Republiky

  Awards: 67985831, RVO 67985831
• CN
  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Awards: ST/T00021X/1, ST/T000228/1
• JA
  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency