Hera Begins Close Inspection of DART-Hit Asteroid

The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft has begun close-up observations of the Didymos asteroid system, examining Dimorphos, the moonlet NASA’s DART spacecraft deliberately struck in 2022. The impact shortened Dimorphos’s orbit around Didymos and altered its path around the Sun, while ejecting debris that stretched thousands of miles into space. Hera is assessing the collision’s effects on the moonlet’s surface and structure to improve understanding of asteroid deflection and future planetary-defense efforts. The spacecraft carries 25 scientific instruments and two CubeSats and is expected to approach even closer as its investigation continues.