ESA's Hera mission

Part of the first test of asteroid deflection. Launched 7 October 2024 on a mission to the binary asteroid system Didymos.
#HeraMission
#PlanetaryDefence

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

@shabbyangel @esaoperations our instrument view extends only to the mid-Atlantic at that latitude, sorry

[ESA Operations @esaoperations]

Saturday’s sonic boom heard over Boston was due to an airbursting meteor, as confirmed by US weather satellite GOES-19. A European geostationary weather sat performs a comparable skywatch, read more here: https://t.co/5I4OAMi3zI

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

Everything you wanted to know about asteroids but were afraid to ask... ! Hera Principal Investigator Patrick Michel has a new book out on planetary defence & asteroids - in 🇫🇷 - https://t.co/rXz83mBQ9U

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

Congratulations to @NASA's @MissionToPsyche for their spectacular Mars flyby. The images brought back memories of our visit last year - asteroid missions like Mars; its gravity comes in handy for modifying course! https://t.co/RyEHaXpllL

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

@NASAJPL @NASAMars Congratulations to @NASA's @MissionToPsyche spacecraft for their successful flyby of Mars! It brought back happy memories of ours, last year https://t.co/RyEHaXpllL

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

The international #HeraMission science community is meeting at Thessaloniki 🇬🇷 this week, preparing for Hera's arrival in 6 months time to the Dimorphos asteroid orbiting the larger Didymos, to see how it was transformed by the impact of @NASA's spacecraft back in 2022

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

Hera is part of ESA's Space Safety programme, protecting our planet, people & infrastructure from space hazards.

🚨Last call! 🚨On 16 June our Space Safety Industry Day at #ESTEC in 🇳🇱 shares how European industry can partner in our work - come join us! 👉 https://t.co/IDzHrFDqEy

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

A successful deep-space manoeuvre has put ESA’s Hera spacecraft on course for arrival at the Didymos binary asteroid system later this year!

At Didymos, Hera will help turn asteroid deflection into a reliable technique for protecting Earth 🛡️🌍

https://t.co/Tud0WQVrFH

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

Surprising new study on @NASA's DART mission collision in 2022: not only did it change the orbit of the smaller Dimorphos asteroid, but it also shifted the solar orbit of its parent body Didymos. Hera's arrival this autumn will reveal more: https://t.co/71g1wsNzOx

[European Space Agency @esa]

#ESAhighlights 2025 is out now. 👀

Read our free ESA Highlights magazine, summarising a complete year of space activity in impactful images and in-depth articles. 📅

👇https://t.co/SSOgLGkWiW

[ESA Technology @ESA_Tech]

Check out ESA's 50 milestone achievements during our first half century in our ESA Delivers brochure: https://t.co/S7DIYgQd4S

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

One year ago #HeraMission was stranded on Earth, its launcher grounded, as a hurricane closed in on its launch site. 12 months later sees it cruising on the far side of the Sun. Learn the story of Hera in space: https://t.co/z3BJdv5P8w

[ESA Operations @esaoperations]

ESA welcomes JAXA's interest in participating in the Ramses mission to the asteroid Apophis, which will make a safe but exceptionally rare and scientifically valuable flyby of Earth in April 2029.

https://t.co/tNdWoOHtUO

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

More information at:
https://t.co/8TF4rLvmEZ

Asteroid (18805) Kellyday 👇

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

ESA's Hera mission has spotted its first asteroids!

Hera is on the way to the Didymos binary asteroid system to explore the aftermath of humankind's first attempt to move an asteroid.

Though faint, these observations are very encouraging for the performance of Hera's camera.

[ESA's Hera mission @ESA_Hera]

Hera's team @esaoperations used the spacecraft to observe two asteroids at short notice.

This is a hot topic, as scientists discuss the possibility of using existing spacecraft to observe high-priority, deep-space objects like 2024 YR4 or 3I/ATLAS.

Asteroid (1126) Otero 👇

[ESA Operations @esaoperations]

ESA's astronomers are actively tracking 3I/ATLAS, which is now the third confirmed interstellar comet to pass through our Solar System!

More info at: https://t.co/ARzYu9snS8

[ESA Operations @esaoperations]

Astronomers may have just discovered the third interstellar object passing through the Solar System!

ESA’s Planetary Defenders are observing the object, provisionally known as #A11pl3Z, right now using telescopes around the world.