ESA Launches Hera Planetary Defense Probe to Examine Asteroid

Credit: ESA/SpaceX

The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its Hera mission on October 7th aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The probe will travel to the asteroid Dimorphos, which was previously impacted by NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirect Mission) as part of a test to see if it was possible to alter an asteroid's trajectory. Building on this success, ESA will follow up by analyzing the impact of DART with the Hera probe, aiming to assess how the collision affected the asteroid. This information could prove valuable in the future if an asteroid were ever set on a collision course with Earth.

We’re proud to share that VPT’s very own DC-DC converters played a crucial role in making this mission possible. We wish the mission team every success as Hera travels to its destination, with arrival expected in 2026.