After a smooth 76-minute ascent, ESA's Hera spacecraft separated from its launcher, with mission control at the ESOC operations center in Germany taking command. Hera's telemetry was confirmed through NASA's Goldstone station, marking a successful separation from the rocket. Following this, Hera's solar arrays deployed, enabling power generation.
The ESA's Flight Dynamics team verified that the spacecraft was correctly placed in orbit, and mission controllers promptly activated core systems. Over the next 54 hours, Hera tested critical systems including star trackers, communication antennas, and thrusters, essential for its deep space mission.
Sylvain Lodiot, Hera's Spacecraft Operations Manager, remarked on the successful start, stating, "It has been an action-packed few days... overall, Hera's first days in space have gone very well." Currently over a million kilometers from Earth, Hera will gradually power on its scientific instruments in preparation for its arrival at the Didymos binary asteroid system in late 2026.
Hera's mission will provide insights into the structure of Dimorphos, Didymos' moonlet, which was impacted by NASA's DART mission in 2022. It will also be the first spacecraft to closely study a binary asteroid system, which comprises about 15% of known asteroids. Notably, Hera will conduct a flyby of Mars in March 2025 to study Deimos, one of Mars' moons, before reaching Didymos.
Hera's detailed survey of Dimorphos is slated to commence in 2027, making it one of the Solar System's most studied objects. Reflecting on the mission's progress, Ignacio Tanco, Hera Flight Operations Director, expressed satisfaction with the spacecraft's early success, while Mission Manager Ian Carnelli highlighted the mission's exciting challenges and successes.