TODAY !!! Finally, the highly anticipated launch of the HERA spacecraft will take place in Florida.
Wish I could be there to wave it off – but sending big GOOD LUCK vibes to the HERA team !
You might remember I did some voice messages for them a couple of years ago – this has been a bumpy path – so I’m happy to see this ESA mission finally lift off the ground.
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HERA LAUNCH TODAY !!! This is the asteroid system the mission is headed for – DIDYMOS. It’s a tiny binary system – consisting of two rocks spinning around a common centre of gravity. The smaller of the rocks – known as Dimorphos – was impacted by a NASA projectile 2 years ago. We assembled this stereo picture of the result of that impact from data sent back by the Italian cubesat Licia. It shows the cookie-shaped larger body Didymos at top – and the smaller body Dimorphos at bottom – with a spectacular fan-like cloud of debris ballooning out from the impact site. Sadly, HERA was prevented from being there at this moment – but soon it will arrive to survey the long-term result of the episode – and contribute to our knowledge of our possibilities of averting a major asteroid impact on the Earth. It’s called PLANETARY DEFENCE !!! Bruce Willis would be proud !!
Bri
11:40
My attempt at grabbing a stereo from the video footage sent back down from the Falcon rocket as it rose into the Florida sky this morning, carrying the HERA spacecraft that will arrive at the Didymos binary asteroid in 2 years time. Please SWIPE for cross-eyed stereo view. I was hoping to be there for this historic launch, but sadly I wasn’t fit to fly. GO HERA !!!
Bri