ESA's Hera Mission Launches to Investigate NASA's Asteroid Impact

The spacecraft embarks on a two-year journey to study the aftermath of NASA's DART mission, which tested asteroid deflection techniques.

The Hera mission aims to analyze the impact site on the asteroid Dimorphos, where NASA's DART spacecraft collided in 2022.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched Hera from Cape Canaveral, Florida, just before Hurricane Milton's arrival.
Hera will reach the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system by late 2026, conducting a detailed survey to assess changes caused by the DART impact.
The mission will deploy two CubeSats to gather close-range data, including radar scans to understand Dimorphos' internal structure.
Scientists hope Hera's findings will refine strategies for potential future asteroid deflection missions to protect Earth.