The chasing spacecraft swings from asteroids via Mars on Wednesday. While it was interrupted, it took hundreds of shots from the Red Planet, as well as several shots from Deimos, one of the small Mars moons.
The HERA spacecraft operators of the European Space Agency were charm by the aesthetics of science fiction.
“We were waiting for patience to get these pictures,” he said Patrick MichelThe main investigator in Hera, during a press conference on Thursday at Mission Control in Darmstadt, Germany. When the first shots of the moon appeared, many members of Hera exploded in chants. Dr. Michel said: “We have never seen Dimos in this way.”
The navigators managed to fly about 600 miles over the Deimos, a karaji satellite just nine miles. The corridor, with noticeable details, explains a small island that slides over the Mars desert around the hole.
During the press conference, Ian CarnelliDirector of the Hera Project, was blurry eyes. He said, “I will be emotional.” “It was so exciting that we did not get any sleep.”
Hera used Mars in what is known as gravitational assistance, as the spacecraft accelerated and set the flight path. But its tasks factors also wanted to take advantage of the Flyby and use it to test the mechanical eyes that will allow HERA to study the asteroid targeting it, Dimorphos.
In the coming days, the mission scientists will reveal more photographs from Hera’s meeting with Mars, which may include footage of Foubos, the other moon of the planet.
As with any planetary flight, there were some nerves about whether Hera would conduct her maneuvers properly and end up on the right track. “The spacecraft has acted very well,” said Silvan Ludot, HERA operations director. “We are on the right path to the asteroid system.”
HERA is heading to Dimorphos as a follow -up to the task of 2022 NASA, which is a double asteroid redirect test. Dart intentionally a spacecraft in this asteroid, with the aim of changing its orbit around a larger asteroid, Didimus. This was a test if a dangerous space rock could be converted to Earth in a similar way.
The experience successfully changed Dimorphos orbit. But the physical nature of the asteroid, and its full response to the collision of Dart, is still unclear; Some evidence indicates that he is behaved like a liquid when beating, instead of solid Expulsion And reshape itself.
When it comes to stopping deadly asteroids from beating the Earth, the more scientists know their rocky enemies, the better one of them should come on our way. To help with this effort, the European HERA mission will reach Dimorphos in late 2026 to study closely to the asteroid DART.
This Wednesday, during the Flyby’s Flyby of Mars and Deimos, the spacecraft used three cameras – including the infrared image provided by the Japanese Space Explorement Agency.
Mars moons have mysterious origins. Both can be pieces of the disintegrated asteroid that was captured by the planet’s attractiveness, or perhaps Flotsam and Jetsam residue from a giant effect on Mars.
Deimos closed Ted, this means that the hemisphere is constantly facing Mars. This near aspect is the most common by the spacecraft that revolves around the planet, or by Rover Rover over its surface. Hera managed to fly behind Dimos, which means that it caught a rare scene.
He said: “It is one of the few pictures that we have on the other side of Deimos.” Stefan AyamicResearcher at the German Aerospace Center and member of the HERA team.
This was a peek on Mars and Dimos exciting. But the team is especially pleased because Hera is now on her way to the asteroid. Dr. Michel said: “We are all looking for what Didymos and Dimorphos will look like.”