{"id":790171,"date":"2024-10-10T13:05:54","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T18:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=790171"},"modified":"2024-10-10T13:05:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T18:05:54","slug":"hera-takes-flight-didymos-here-we-come","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=790171","title":{"rendered":"Hera takes flight: Didymos, here we come"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\tSpace Safety<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t10\/10\/2024<\/span>
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The day began with an 85% chance that bad weather would cause a launch delay: it ended with ESA\u2019s Hera mission successfully in space and en route to the Didymos binary asteroid system.<\/p>\n

At 16:52 CEST (14:52 UTC) on 7 October 2024, Hera took to the skies aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. After a smooth 76-minute ascent, the spacecraft separated from its launcher, and, a few minutes later, ESA\u2019s ESOC mission operations centre in Germany assumed control of the spacecraft.<\/p>\n

Here is what has happened since then.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hera\u2019s first days in space<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCelebrating a successful Hera launch
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The first telemetry form Hera arrived on Earth via NASA\u2019s Goldstone station at 18:12 CEST and confirmed the spacecraft\u2019s successful separation from the launcher.<\/p>\n

By 18:24 CEST, both of Hera\u2019s 5 m solar arrays had deployed and the spacecraft had begun to generate power.<\/p>\n

ESA\u2019s Flight Dynamics team quickly confirmed that the SpaceX launcher had delivered Hera into the correct orbit and mission controllers began activating the spacecraft’s other core systems.<\/p>\n

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We have a mission!!#HeraMission<\/a>‘s solar arrays have deployed and its batteries are charging. The satellite is in good health and the first commands have been confirmed on board. pic.twitter.com\/ChckwCmNw9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 7, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Over the next 54 hours, Hera powered on and tested its star trackers (used for navigation) and its reaction wheels (used to control Hera\u2019s orientation in space).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tESA Director General Josef Aschbacher (right) and Head of Mission Operations Simon Plum celebrate the successful Hera launch
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Mission control also tested the communication antennas that Hera will use to stay in touch with Earth via ESA\u2019s Estrack ground station network and conducted a successful thruster test, during which each thruster was fired briefly to ensure proper functionality ahead of Hera\u2019s upcoming deep space manoeuvre.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an action-packed few days,\u201d says Sylvain Lodiot, Hera Spacecraft Operations Manager. \u201cWe have fine-tuned some of the systems, but\u00a0overall, Hera\u2019s first days in space have gone\u00a0very well.\u00a0The hardware is performing well, and we\u00a0have already uplinked a few software updates.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMembers of the Hera operations team on launch day
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What\u2019s next for Hera?<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInside Hera mission control on launch day
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Hera is now already more than a million kilometres from Earth. Over the next few weeks, the spacecraft\u2019s suite of scientific instruments will be gradually powered on and tested. These instruments will collect valuable data about Didymos and its moonlet, Dimorphos, once Hera arrives at the binary asteroid system in late 2026. In particular, Hera will help scientists better understand the structure of Dimorphos and how it was altered by NASA\u2019s DART mission, which deliberately crashed into the asteroid in 2022 in the first test of asteroid deflection.<\/p>\n

Hera will also study how binary asteroid systems like Didymos form and function. As the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a binary asteroid system, Hera will provide unique insight into these celestial bodies, which account for around 15% of all known asteroids.<\/p>\n

Hera\u2019s first deep space manoeuvre will begin in late October and put the spacecraft on course for its next major milestone, a flyby of Mars in March 2025. During this flyby, Hera will use its instruments to study Deimos, the smaller and more enigmatic of Mars\u2019s two moons. This will serve as an important test for many of the spacecraft\u2019s instruments, ensuring they are fully operational before the spacecraft arrives at its final destination, Didymos.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\tHera trajectory to Didymos
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Hera will perform a second deep space manoeuvre in February 2026. An \u2018impulsive rendezvous\u2019 in October 2026 will bring Hera into the vicinity of the Didymos asteroid system. The spacecraft will begin its detailed survey of the moonlet Dimorphos in 2027, which will turn the 151 m asteroid into one of the most studied objects in the Solar System.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMembers of the public experience the Hera launch at ESA’s ESOC control centre in Germany
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A smooth start and a bright future<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMembers of the Hera Flight Control Team on launch day
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Reflecting on the mission so far, Hera Flight Operations Director Ignacio Tanco noted that while the team has faced a number of challenges expected, as is expected with every launch, Hera\u2019s Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) has been without any major issues: \u201cI would like to express my gratitude to all the teams involved in the preparation and execution of this first phase of the Hera mission. Hera went through a tense and improbable launch, but together we have converted that into a very smooth and successful LEOP.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Hera team assembles inside ESA’s Main Control Room for the naming ceremony during which Hera is added to the historic wall listing all missions flown from the room over the last 56 years
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As Hera enters its approximately two-month Near-Earth Commissioning Phase, Hera Mission Manager Ian Carnelli expressed his thanks for the dedication shown by everyone involved in the mission:\u00a0\u201cHera is an incredible mission: there is never a dull moment.\u00a0Design, development, launch \u2013\u00a0every stage\u00a0of the mission\u00a0threw challenges and surprises at us,\u00a0but everything has gone\u00a0even\u00a0better than\u00a0I\u00a0could have hoped.\u00a0I could have never dreamt of a better team.\u00a0I would like to take this opportunity to thank\u00a0everyone\u00a0involved\u00a0from the bottom of my heart\u00a0for the incredible\u00a0effort.\u00a0I cannot\u00a0wait to continue this adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDidymos, here we come.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHera was added to the historic wall inside ESA’s Main Control Room on 10 October 2024 after the successful completion of the mission’s Launch and Early Orbit Phase
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