DART & HERA, NASA/ESA Asteroid Redirection Missions Options

[nogal]

The Hera mission launch was successful. The venerable booster 1061 made its 23rd, and last, flight, the mission requiring Falcon 9's full capacity.
The solar panels unfolded one hour or so after separation.

View or review the launch at this ESA announcement or go directly to youtube
Fernando

[nogal]

Hera's first days in space have gone well. The trajectory is fine, the solar panels deployed correctly and star trackers have been tested.
See ESA's report here.

On November 1st Hera will perform its first DSM (Deep Space Manoeuvre), Didymos arrival is planned for October 2026.
Fernando

[nogal]

Hera has sent its first images a few days ago (sorry, I was traveling). They can be found at
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Hera_..._Earth_and_Moon

Fernando

[bobik]

According to orbital elements data accessed trough WebGeocalc (WGC), there are very tiny Trajectory Control Maneuvers (TCM) on 2024-10-11, 2024-10-14, and 2024-10-18; a large Deep Space Maneuver (DSM), lasting about one hour and a half, will be performed on 2024-10-23 with a smaller follow-up maneuver planned on 2024-11-06.