Europe's Hera probe reaches asteroid crash site to study NASA's deflection test

The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft has begun observing the Didymos asteroid system, the target of NASA's DART mission. DART previously crashed into the smaller moonlet Dimorphos to test whether a spacecraft can alter an asteroid's path. Hera aims to examine how the impact changed Dimorphos' structure and orbit, data considered vital for planetary defense. Scientists also hope to measure the momentum boost produced by the collision and its physical consequences. Small CubeSat satellites will be deployed to gather further data on both asteroids.