ESA's Hera Will View Asteroid Scars from DART's Strike

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission will observe the Dimorphos asteroid, which was struck by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft. The Hera mission is expected to arrive at Dimorphos in 2026, about 14 months after the DART impact. The goal of the Hera mission is to study the effects of the DART impact on Dimorphos' shape, spin, and orbit. Hera will be equipped with an array of instruments, including a high-resolution camera, a spectrometer, and a radar system. The mission will also include a small lander called the MASCOT-2, which will touch down on Dimorphos and conduct further experiments.