The Hera mission gravimeter is now ready to fly towards the Dimorphos asteroid, the one that diverted NASA in a historic mission last September 2022. Now, as planned, the European Space Agency (ESA) will be in charge of the first analysis mission of this double asteroid.
During this time, the gravimeter has been subjected to different tests such as vibration, radiation or thermal vacuum. ALTER has been in charge of carrying out the electromagnetic compatibility, vibration and SRS tests.
Once all the tests have been passed, ESA will have the equipment for the Hera probe mission, which will send two nanosatellites, and whose launch is scheduled for October 2024.
Likewise, this GRASS gravimeter, which will have to measure the minuscule gravitational levels of Dimorphos —the smallest asteroid that orbits around the largest, Didymos—, is considered a central part of the mission.
Together with the rest of the team, the gravimeter will evaluate the results after the impact of NASA's Dart probe. All this is part of a planetary defense program against possible objects that could impact the Earth.