\n<\/p>\n
On 12 March 2025 ESA\u2019s Hera spacecraft for planetary defence performs a flyby of Mars. The gravity of the red planet shifts the spacecraft\u2019s trajectory towards the Didymos binary asteroid system, shortening its trip by months and saving substantial fuel.<\/p>\n
This is a simulation of that flyby, with closest approach to Martian moon Deimos taking place at 12:07 GMT and Mars occurring at 12:51 GMT<\/b>. It was made using SPICE (Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, C-matrix, Events) software. Produced by a team at ESA\u2019s ESAC European Space Astronomy Centre, this SPICE visualisation is used to plan instrument acquisitions during Hera\u2019s flyby.<\/p>\n
Hera comes to around 5000 km from the surface of Mars during its flyby. It will also image Deimos, the smaller of Mars\u2019s two moons, from a minimum 1000 km away (while venturing as close as 300 km). Hera will also image Mars\u2019s larger moon Phobos as it begins to move away from Mars. In this sped-up simulation, Deimos is seen 30 seconds in, at 12:07 GMT, while the more distant star-like Phobos becomes visible at two minutes in, at 12:49 GMT.<\/p>\n
The spacecraft employs three of its instruments over the course of these close encounters, all located together on the \u2018Asteroid Deck\u2019 on top of Hera:<\/p>\n
Hera\u2019s Asteroid Framing Camera is formed of two redundant 1020×1020 pixel monochromatic visible light cameras, used for both navigation and science.<\/p>\n
The Thermal Infrared Imager, supplied by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, images at mid-infrared wavelengths to determine surface temperatures.<\/p>\n
Hera\u2019s Hyperscout H is a hyperspectral imager, observing in 25 visible and near-infrared spectral bands to prospect surface minerals.<\/p>\n
Did you know this mission has its own AI? You can pose questions to our\u00a0<\/i>Hera Space Companion<\/i>!<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\t\t\t