NASA crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid in 2022; Europe’s Hera probe reaches impact site to investigate if Earth can be saved from space rocks

ESA’s Hera spacecraft has initiated its observations of the Didymos asteroid system following NASA’s DART mission’s collision with Dimorphos. This investigation seeks to analyze the impact’s effects on Dimorphos’ structure and its trajectory, which is essential for planetary defense. Researchers aim to uncover the momentum enhancement factor and physical effects of the collision, while also deploying CubeSats for comprehensive data collection on both asteroids.