A European spacecraft on its way to investigate a historic asteroid collision has captured rare images of Mars’ mysterious moon Deimos. The European Space Agency’s HERA mission is aiming to determine the impact of a NASA spacecraft that deliberately smashed into an asteroid in 2022.
During its journey, the HERA spacecraft flew within 5,600 kilometers of Mars and took around 600 pictures, including images of Deimos. The lumpy moon, which is 12.5 kilometers wide, has sparked debate over how it was formed. Scientists believe it may have been captured by Mars’ gravity or created as a result of a massive impact on the surface.
The new images provide “another piece of the puzzle” in understanding Deimos’ origin. HERA’s “HyperScout” and thermal infrared imagers, which observe colors beyond human vision, will help shed light on the mystery. The spacecraft is expected to reach its destination in late 2026.
In addition to studying Deimos, the mission will also focus on asteroid Dimorphos, which was targeted by NASA’s DART mission in 2022. HERA aims to assess the effectiveness of this technique in defending against potentially hazardous asteroids. Space agencies are working to boost Earth’s planetary defenses, monitoring for threats and developing new technologies.
The European Space Agency is planning a second mission, Ramses, to observe the asteroid Apophis, which will pass close to Earth in 2029. If approved, the mission will launch in 2028 and provide crucial insights into asteroid detection and defense.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/en-route-to-asteroid-collision-hera-snaps-rare-images-of-martian-moon