The European Space Agency (ESA) has released an animation captured by its Hera spacecraft, showcasing the Moon as it departs from Earth. Launched on October 7, the Hera mission aims to study the binary asteroid system Didymos, following NASA's DART mission that impacted its moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022. This collision was part of an experiment to test methods for deflecting hazardous celestial bodies.
After launch, engineers activated Hera's scientific instruments for testing and calibration, including the Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI) provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. TIRI is designed to capture images of Dimorphos in the mid-infrared range, allowing scientists to assess physical properties such as surface roughness, particle size distribution, and porosity through thermal inertia measurements.
To validate TIRI's functionality, mission specialists aimed it at Earth and the Moon, capturing images between October 10 and October 15, as Hera traveled distances of 1.4 million km to 3.8 million km from Earth. The ESA animation illustrates the gradual reduction in Earth's size and the changing phases of the Moon, transitioning from half-illuminated to fully illuminated.
In a separate development, Rocket Lab achieved its 12th Electron launch of 2024, surpassing the previous annual record of 10 missions set in 2023. This launch occurred less than ten weeks after the contract signing, marking one of Rocket Lab's fastest turnarounds. The Electron rocket has now secured its position as the third most frequently launched rocket globally and the second in the United States.
Rocket Lab's rapid launch process is attributed to standardized vehicle production, responsive launch sites, and a well-established launch system. CEO Sir Peter Beck stated, "Another successful launch showcasing all the best attributes of the Rocket Lab team and Electron: a streamlined process from contract to orbit, pinpoint deployment accuracy, and a responsive service tailored exactly to the customer's needs." With 12 successful launches this year across various missions, Rocket Lab continues to set records in the launch industry.