Europe’s Hera Probe Spots Target Asteroid Remade by Human Impact

Europe's planetary defense spacecraft is finally zeroing in on the celestial target of a historic human collision. Launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in October 2024, the Hera probe captured its first distinct view of the binary asteroid system previously struck by NASA's DART mission. The image resolves the larger body alongside its smaller companion, Dimorphos, which appears as a solitary pixel from a distance of 795 miles.

ESA project scientist Michael Kueppers noted that the spacecraft previously saw the pair as a single dot before this separation became clear. This initial sighting sets the stage for a detailed forensic survey. In September 2022, the DART spacecraft slammed into Dimorphos to demonstrate that humanity can alter an asteroid's trajectory.

Hera’s mission is to measure the aftermath of that collision and unpack the internal structure of the battered space rock. To accomplish this, the spacecraft carries twelve payloads and two cubesats designed for close-range observations and an eventual landing on the 495-foot-wide asteroid. Our read is that while NASA proved we can punch an asteroid, Europe's follow-up mission will reveal whether we understand the physics of what we actually broke.

Braking maneuvers executed earlier in October have put Hera on a precise path for arrival.

ESA mission manager Ian Carnelli noted that views will sharpen considerably as the spacecraft approaches, with the first detailed images of the shifted asteroid scheduled for public release on November 25.