Asteroid explorer discovers enigmatic Martian satellite during passage

Martian Moon Detected by Hera Asteroid Probe During Its Approach

The European Space Agency (ESA) is gearing up for an exciting exploration in 2026, as its spacecraft Hera prepares to reach the Didymos system. Hera, launched on October 7, 2024, will undergo a series of thruster firings starting in October 2026, following a maneuver in February 2026, to finally arrive at its destination in December 2026.

The Didymos system, Hera's target, consists of two asteroids: the larger Didymos, with a diameter of 2,625 feet (800 meters), and the much smaller Dimorphos, with a diameter of 558 feet (170 meters). Dimorphos, Hera's main focus, was previously the target of NASA's DART mission, where it was intentionally collided with in September 2022. The collision resulted in a shortening of Dimorphos' orbital period around Didymos from 11 hours and 55 minutes to 11 hours and 23 minutes.

During its Mars flyby on Wednesday, Hera activated a trio of instruments to image the surface of Mars and its moon Deimos. Deimos, a tiny moon measuring a mere 7.7 miles (12.4 km) across, was also glimpsed by Hera during its brief rendezvous with Mars. Deimos completes one orbit around Mars every 30 hours.

Mars, the Red Planet, has two moons - Phobos and Deimos. ESA's Hera mission manager, Ian Carnelli, stated that this has been the Hera team's first experience of exploration, but not their last. The Hera mission's objective is to investigate the crash site of the only object in our Solar System to have had its orbit measurably altered by human action.

ESA's Hera mission scientist, Michael Kueppers, confirmed the performance of Hera's instruments during the Mars flyby. The Hera mission is intended for a detailed, post-impact survey of the Didymos system from space. The next exciting experience of exploration for the Hera team will be in 21 months, when the spacecraft reaches the Didymos system.

Hera came as close as 3,106 miles (5,000 kilometers) to Mars during its flyby. The mission is a testament to human ingenuity and our growing ability to explore and understand our Solar System. Stay tuned for more updates as Hera continues its journey towards the Didymos system.