Deflect an asteroid: the European probe Héra finally reveals the result!

Patrick Michel, astrophysicist, Director of Research Exceptional Class at CNRS, Scientific Head of Space Mission Hera, Professor at the University of Tokyo

Ian Carnelli, manager of the Hera Space Mission, Director of the Systems Department at the European Space Agency

In September 2022, NASA’s DART mission made a historic feat: to hit high speed the Dimorphos asteroid, the small moon of the Didymos asteroid couple, in order to change its trajectory. For the first time, humanity was testing in real terms a global defense technique designed to protect the Earth from a possible cosmic impact. From November 2026, the European probe Hera, left in 2024, joined Didymos and Dimorphos to conduct the investigation. For six months, it will carry out spectacular, risky and unpublished exploration operations to analyze the exact consequences of the collision.
Has the impact of DART dug a huge crater or completely remodeled asteroid? How much has her orbit actually been altered? What do these little worlds teach us about the structure of asteroids and our future ability to defend the planet? This conference will reveal the first images taken by Hera during his first month on site, as well as the first scientific results of a mission that marks a major milestone in the European space adventure. Suspense guaranteed!