ESA's Hera mission flying by Mars. See views captured with its Asteroid Framing Cameras. Credit; ESA - European Space Agency ...

ESA's Hera spacecraft is currently headed toward the aftermath of NASA's DART asteroid-deflection test. But first, it'll stop by Mars to study the Martian moon Deimos.

The European Space Agency's Hera mission flew by Mars and its lesser-known moon Deimos on March 12, 2025, for a critical gravity assist for its journey. Credit: ESA.

When Hera arrives at Mars, it will use the gravity of the planet to push it toward its target, Dimorphos, which is the smaller partner of the Didymos asteroid and where it will arrive in late 2026.

Hera was using Mars in what is known as a gravity assist, both accelerating the spacecraft and adjusting its flight path. But its mission operators also wanted to take advantage of the Martian ...

Europe's HERA mission has taken a good look at Mars and its moon Deimos on its way to explore the aftermath of the DART impact in the Didymos–Dimorphos asteroid system.

Hera came as near as 5000 kilometres to the surface of Mars, receiving a gravity boost that will fling it onwards to Dimorphos. The manoeuvre shortened its journey time by many months and saved it ...

But HERA will not reach the asteroid — which is 11 million kilometers from Earth in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter — until late 2026. On the long voyage there, the spacecraft swung ...

NASA shoves 4 volunteers into Mars mission simulation space for 45 days It's the latest in a series of tests aimed at getting us closer to the Red Planet. By Timothy Malcolm , Weekend Editor Aug ...

Hera was about 620 miles (1000 km) from the 7.7-mile-wide (12.4-m) Martian moon when the image was taken. Deimos orbits approximately 14,600 miles (23,500 km) from the surface of Mars.

Hera snapped the images from an altitude of 621 miles (1,000 km) while traveling at speeds of 20,132 mph (32,400 kph) relative to Mars. All three instruments were pointed to the less-seen side of ...

NASA has selected four new volunteers to participate in a 45-day simulation of life on Mars, known as the HERA project. The mission, which will begin on November 1, will involve the crew ...