Somewhere in the vastness of space might lurk an unobserved asteroid on course for a head-on collision with our planet. This impact could be devastating for humankind which is why ESA is preparing a planetary defence mission called Hera.
As part of the world’s first test of asteroid deflection, ESA’s Hera mission will perform a detailed post-impact survey of Dimorphos - the 160-metre asteroid struck, and successfully deflected, by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022.
Hera will soon study the aftermath, gathering vital missing data to turn this grand-scale experiment into a well-understood and potentially repeatable planetary defence technique.
The van-sized spacecraft will perform a close-up survey of the Great Pyramid-sized Dimorphos as it orbits around its mountain-sized Didymos parent asteroid. A pair of shoebox-sized CubeSats will be deployed to fly even closer and take more risks. Italy’s Milani CubeSat - named after the late professor who devised the original DART-Hera concept - will perform multispectral mineral prospecting while Luxembourg’s Juventas CubeSat will perform the first subsurface radar survey of an asteroid. The pair will end their missions by landing on Dimorphos to try and gather surface data.
Before Hera and its two CubeSats fly, they need to be rigorously tested at ESA’s ESTEC test centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. From the force and noise of the rocket take-off to the sustained vacuum and temperature extremes of deep space, all’aspects of Hera’s functioning are checked before they begin their journey.
ESA Hera experts available for interviews:
- Ian Carnelli - Project Manager (Languages: IT, FR, EN)
- Paolo Martino - System Engineer (Languages: IT, NL -only written, EN)
- Heli Greus - Product Assurance Manager (Languages: FI, EN)
- Franco Perez Lissi - CubeSats Lead Engineer (Languages: EN, ES)
- Michel Van Pelt - Head of Section ESA ESTEC Cost Engineering (Languages: EN, NL)
10:50 - 11:00 Arrival and check-in at the gate house
11:00 - 11:15 Transfer to the Test Centre
11:15 - 12:00 Introduction to the Hera Mission
12:00 - 12:45 Cleanroom visit to view the Hera spacecraft.Please note you will only have 15-20 minutes in the cleanroom.
12:45 - 13:30 Interview Opportunities with the Hera team.(Please email to pre-book interviews in advance)
How to get there:
Address: ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk
Recommended transport : Car with parking available. Some electrical chargers are available as well.
Access and Security Guidelines: Please have a valid ID card on hand for identification when you arrive.
Cleanroom rules and regulations:
- Cleanroom: To get into the cleanroom, all cameras and instruments must be cleaned up (material to do so will be provided).
- All individuals must wear a hairnet, coat, and shoe protection, which will be provided. Individuals with long hair are advised to tie it up.
- No shorts or skirts are allowed inside the cleanroom.
- No phones are allowed. Only cameras and voice/radio recorders are permitted.
- Before you enter, there will be a security briefing detailing what cannot be filmed. All footage will be checked by the security guard before you leave.
- Media filming and taking photos will need to sign the GDPR statement.
Media registration:
Please register your attendance here: https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form before Wednesday 10 April.
For questions and to organise interviews with the HERA spokespeople please contact Taylor Willis - taylor.willis@ext.esa.int or media@esa.int Journalists travelling further afield can also request a tour of the Test Centre (subject to availability).
