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Il CIRA a Cape Canaveral per il lancio di HERA

CIRA at Cape Canaveral for the Launch of HERA

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the HERA spacecraft on October 7, 2024, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The HERA mission will assess the consequences of NASA's DART probe, which in 2022 impacted and reduced the orbit of Dimorphos, the moon of the larger asteroid Didymos, by 32 minutes. Onboard the HERA probe is the Milani CubeSat, developed by Tyvak International, which will study the surface composition and map the spectral characteristics of Dimorphos.

CIRA was present at the launch with personnel from the Space Qualification Laboratory, which oversaw the full qualification campaign of the Milani CubeSat. The campaign, conducted on behalf of Tyvak International (the European subsidiary of Terran Orbital), began with tests on the IANUS thermal thruster, developed by Technology for Propulsion and Innovation (T4i). It continued with the Structural and Thermal Model (STIM) tests and concluded with the Proto Flight Model (PFM) tests. This final version is now onboard HERA, en route to Dimorphos, where it is expected to arrive in 2026. 

​​The HERA mission is part of ESA's planetary defense program. It aims to enhance techniques for deflecting potentially dangerous celestial objects. CIRA is proud to be part of this technical success! 




 

 

CIRA at Cape Canaveral for the Launch of HERA<img alt="" src="https://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/team%20CIRA%20Tyvak%20lancio%20HERA%207%20ott%202024%20HD.jpeg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" />https://www.cira.it/en/research-infrastructures/space-qualification-laboratory/il-cira-a-cape-canaveral-per-il-lancio-di-hera/CIRA at Cape Canaveral for the Launch of HERACIRA at Cape Canaveral for the Launch of HERA<p style="text-align:justify;">The <span id="rnd97255">European</span> Space Agency (ESA) <span id="rnd43502">successfully</span> <span id="rnd5849">launched</span> the HERA <span id="rnd15275">spacecraft</span> on <span id="rnd94975">October</span> 7, 2024, <span id="rnd59674">using</span> a <span id="rnd75136">SpaceX</span> <span id="rnd52936">Falcon</span> 9 <span id="rnd85443">rocket</span> from Cape Canaveral, Florida.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The HERA <span id="rnd40402">mission</span> <span id="rnd42410">will</span> <span id="rnd46867">assess</span> the <span id="rnd72147">consequences</span> of <span id="rnd2672">NASA's</span> DART probe, <span id="rnd55970">which</span> in 2022 <span id="rnd84092">impacted</span> and <span id="rnd20233">reduced</span> the <span id="rnd79960">orbit</span> of <span id="rnd68717">Dimorphos</span>, the <span id="rnd1783">moon</span> of the <span id="rnd69395">larger</span> <span id="rnd98600">asteroid</span> <span id="rnd24069">Didymos</span>, by 32 minutes. <span id="rnd25892">Onboard</span> the HERA probe <span id="rnd12546">is</span> the Milani <span id="rnd67381">CubeSat</span>, <span id="rnd69959">developed</span> by <span id="rnd3015">Tyvak</span> International, <span id="rnd82211">which</span> <span id="rnd83027">will</span> <span id="rnd3524">study</span> the <span id="rnd58268">surface</span> <span id="rnd53521">composition</span> and <span id="rnd2174">map</span> the <span id="rnd69578">spectral</span> <span id="rnd51923">characteristics</span> of <span id="rnd1112">Dimorphos</span>.<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;">CIRA w<span id="rnd94739">as</span> <span id="rnd26307">present</span> <span id="rnd24303">at</span> the <span id="rnd50771">launch</span> with <span id="rnd75526">personnel</span> from the Space <span id="rnd34439">Qualification</span> Laboratory, <span id="rnd96965">which</span> <span id="rnd28293">oversaw</span> the full <span id="rnd9862">qualification</span> <span id="rnd10583">campaign</span> of the Milani <span id="rnd49698">CubeSat</span>. The <span id="rnd10477">campaign</span>, <span id="rnd27098">conducted</span> on <span id="rnd18389">behalf</span> of <span id="rnd91316">Tyvak</span> International (the <span id="rnd85110">European</span> <span id="rnd43658">subsidiary</span> of <span id="rnd330">Terran</span> <span id="rnd80322">Orbital</span>), <span id="rnd44050">began</span> with <span id="rnd81742">tests</span> on the IANUS <span id="rnd2751">thermal</span> <span id="rnd36958">thruster</span>, <span id="rnd30029">developed</span> by Technology for <span id="rnd75808">Propulsion</span> and <span id="rnd77582">Innovation</span> (T4i). <span id="rnd60541">It</span> <span id="rnd20960">continued</span> with the <span id="rnd51614">Structural</span> and Thermal Model (STIM) <span id="rnd36451">tests</span> and <span id="rnd54434">concluded</span> with the Proto Flight Model (PFM) <span id="rnd99672">tests</span>. <span id="rnd72617">This</span> <span id="rnd23006">final</span> <span id="rnd61490">version</span> <span id="rnd44213">is</span> <span id="rnd73982">now</span> <span id="rnd68919">onboard</span> HERA, en <span id="rnd47201">route</span> to <span id="rnd53632">Dimorphos</span>, <span id="rnd2762">where</span> <span id="rnd46223">it</span> <span id="rnd6666">is</span> <span id="rnd71766">expected</span> to <span id="rnd16026">arrive</span> in 2026.  </p><p style="text-align:justify;">​​The HERA <span id="rnd99123">mission</span> <span id="rnd73363">is</span> part of <span id="rnd69812">ESA's</span> <span id="rnd22677">planetary</span> defense <span id="rnd53973">program</span>. <span id="rnd49269">It</span> <span id="rnd38873">aims</span> to <span id="rnd15600">enhance</span> <span id="rnd90268">techniques</span> for <span id="rnd5252">deflecting</span> <span id="rnd29450">potentially</span> <span id="rnd30671">dangerous</span> <span id="rnd86677">celestial</span> <span id="rnd12034">objects</span>. CIRA <span id="rnd89437">is</span> <span id="rnd616">proud</span> to be part of <span id="rnd67816">this</span> <span id="rnd58948">technical</span> success! <br></p><p><br><br></p><p><br></p>2024-10-14T22:00:00Z

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HERA Mssion Launchhttps://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=2607HERA Mssion LaunchImagehttps://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/HERA%20asteroid%20mission%20launch.jpg
Banana Creek Launch Viewinghttps://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=2608Banana Creek Launch ViewingBanana Creek Launch ViewingImagehttps://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/tabellone%20Banana%20Creek.jpg

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