ESA’s Hera probe captures a rare, detailed view of Mars and its elusive moon, Deimos, during an important flyby on the way to the Didymos Asteroid system. Credit:esa.int
The European Space Agency (ESA) sparring probes gave scientists unusual treatment. It’s a stunning new perspective on Mars and its lesser known moon, Deimos.
Now on the way to the Didimos asteroid system, the probe used flybys to capture some of the most detailed images of the Red Planet and its small, mystical moon.
Deimos like never before: Hera’s groundbreaking Mars flyby
Phobos, the big moon on Mars, is extensively studied, but Deimos remains a mystery. That’s why the Hera flyby was a great opportunity for planetary scientists. Austrian geophysicist Stephen Ulamek has expressed excitement about the unusual, high-resolution shots across the street from Demos, calling some of the best images ever taken.
Hera’s lead researcher Patrick Michelle repeated this sentiment, highlighting the scientific values of each of them, which gives a new glimpse of Demos. The moon is imaged much less frequently than Phobos, so all fresh perspectives piece together clues about its origin and composition.
Why was Hera’s Mars flyby an important mission step?
The main purpose of Hera is planetary defense. In other words, the final destination is the Didymos Asteroid System, which collects post-impact data following NASA’s DART mission. However, before reaching the target, the probe used a clever trick: gravity assist from Mars.
ESA scientists adjusted the trajectory of the Spara to exploit the gravity of the Red Planet. According to the ESA, the operation not only shortens the Hera journey every few months, but also provides preserved fuel and makes the mission more efficient.
Hera’s mission manager Ian Carneli described it as “harves planetary energy.” This is a technology that allows space missions to maximize efficiency using minimal fuel, and is important for long-distance space travel.
How Hera’s mission helps protect Earth from asteroids
The Hera is not just a research envoy, but an important part of Earth’s planetary defense strategy. In 2022, NASA’s DART mission managed to collapse the spacecraft.
Now, Hera is following up on that experiment, collecting important post-impact data and converting asteroid deflection into reliable planetary defense techniques. As Carnelli said, the mission is to “introduce full-scale insurance contracts for Planet Earth.”
Even Rock legend and astrophysicist Brian oppresses the importance of Hera’s mission and warns that if a large asteroid is not detected, humanity could face the same fate as a dinosaur.
Groundbreaking images of Mars and Deimos, along with the Hera, beyond its important planetary defense mission, proves to be a game-changer in both space exploration and the long-term security of Earth.
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