HERA will collect unprecedented asteroid data - Earth.com

HERA will collect unprecedented asteroid data

06-30-2018


Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency (ESA) introduces the HERA mission, part of the upcoming Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) that will test the feasibility of diverting an asteroid away from the planet.

The scientists will use the DART spacecraft to impact the smaller body of a double-asteroid system called Didymos as it approaches the Earth in 2022. The HERA spacecraft will then inspect the outcome of the high-speed collision, providing scientists with invaluable information that can be used to refine their deflection technique.

HERA will also collect data from the interior and exterior structures of Didymos to give scientists a better understanding of asteroids, including how they form in the solar system.

Today is National Asteroid Day, and the ESA has teamed up with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to host a live webcast starting at 7:00 AM.

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: European Space Agency

 

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