Launch Overview
Vehicle
Falcon 9
Agency
SpaceX
Site / Pad
CC / LC40
Outcome
Success
Flight
385/B1061.23 F380
COSPAR Designator
2024-180
Mission
Hera (Robotic Exploration)
Hera is a space mission in development at the European Space Agency in its Space Safety program. Its primary objective is to study the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by DART and contribute to validation of the kinetic impact method to deviate a near-Earth asteroid in a colliding trajectory with Earth. It will measure the size and the morphology of the crater created by and momentum transferred by an artificial projectile impacting an asteroid, which will allow measuring the efficiency of the deflection produced by the impact. It will also analyze the expanding debris cloud caused by the impact.
Vehicle & Provider
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Provider
SpaceX
Agency launches
408 (97 YTD)
Site launches
978 (51 YTD)
Pad launches
264 (46 YTD)