The first solar system object with a human-altered orbit
In short: After a two-year journey, ESA's Hera mission has reached its destination. This video explains how this asteroid detective and its CubeSat companions will conduct their final close-up study of a historic space rock.
Hera is tasked with exploring Didymos, a double asteroid system that represents the thousands of objects posing potential impact risks to Earth. The mission includes two specialized CubeSats: Milani, designed as a 'rock decoder,' and Juventas, which serves as a 'radar visionary.'
The target, Dimorphos, holds a unique distinction as the first object in our solar system to have its orbit shifted by human activity. Once Hera arrives at the site, it will separate from the CubeSats, allowing them to perform an independent, close-up examination of the asteroid.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The space detectives arrive | The Incredible Adventures of the Hera Mission
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