NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected the asteroid Dimorphos through kinetic impact in 2022, altering its trajectory. ESA’s Hera mission, launchi

Europe's Hera probe is tentatively scheduled to launch Monday on a mission to inspect the damage a NASA spacecraft made when it smashed into an asteroid during the first test of Earth's planetary defences.

The European Space Agency's Hera mission will set off from Cape Canaveral on 7 October on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It will travel several hundred million kilometers to reach the double asteroid Didymos in autumn 2026.

A new space mission could potentially change the course of asteroids, significantly reducing the threat they pose to Earth. In October, the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch "Hera," the second phase of a mission that may pave the way for asteroid deflection.