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Hera Mission Captures Deimos During Mars Flyby
The enigmatic Martian moon Deimos was photographed as the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission undertook a significant flyby of Mars en route to its ultimate destination: the binary asteroid system of Dimorphos and Didymos.
Utilizing its Asteroid Framing Camera, Hera took a monochrome image of both Mars and its moon Deimos, which will play a crucial role in navigating towards its target and analyzing the impact crater left by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). This image is a testament to the ongoing exploration of our solar system’s celestial bodies.
Launched in October 2024, Hera serves as a flagship planetary defense initiative for ESA. During its flyby, the spacecraft capitalized on the gravitational influence of Mars to gain speed towards its goal of studying the binary asteroid system. Importantly, this journey also provided an opportunity to test various scientific instruments aboard Hera.
Deimos, measuring approximately 7.7 miles (12.4 kilometers) in diameter, is the smaller of Mars’ two moons and often lacks detailed imaging due to its tidal locking with the planet, making it less visible from Earth. The unique egg-like shape of Deimos presents challenges for observation, yet Hera managed to get within 621 miles (1,000 km) of this moon while passing over the expansive Hellas Basin region of Mars.
During the flyby, Hera employed three scientific instruments to gather data. The black-and-white Asteroid Framing Camera provided insights into the characteristics of Deimos and Mars as observed in visible light. The camera captured Deimos appearing darker than Mars, attributed to its carbon-rich, non-reflective regolith surface.
In addition, Hera utilized its Hyperscout H hyperspectral imager to capture both celestial bodies in 25 spectral bands across visible and near-infrared wavelengths. This advanced imager offers detailed information about the mineral composition of Deimos and Mars, enhancing our understanding of their geological features.
Thermal Measurements and Future Implications
Employing its Thermal Infrared Imager, Hera captured images that revealed the varying surface temperatures of Deimos compared to Mars. These observations highlight the stark differences caused by the lack of atmosphere on Deimos and its direct exposure to solar radiation. This instrument also provides data on factors such as particle size, porosity, and the roughness of the surface.
Hera boasts a comprehensive scientific payload comprising 12 instruments, alongside two cubesats that are slated for release at Dimorphos and Didymos in December 2026. The mission will focus on analyzing the aftermath of NASA’s DART mission, which impacted Dimorphos in 2022.
The imaging conducted during this flyby serves not only the immediate objectives of Hera but also lays the groundwork for future exploration missions. Notably, it aids the Martian Moons eXploration mission (MMX), guided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), along with collaborative efforts from NASA and ESA. Scheduled for launch in 2026, MMX aims to investigate both Deimos and Phobos, Mars’ other moon, with plans to return samples back to Earth.
Source
www.astronomy.com