Hera lifting off! 🚀 Our Hera mission is on its way to the Didymos-Dimorphos asteroid system after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on 7 October 2024 at 10:52 local time (16:52 CEST). Following @NASA’s DART success, Hera will investigate how the asteroid was deflected, analysing its structure and measuring the crater left by DART. This vital data will help us prepare for future asteroid threats and improve planetary defence strategies. 📹 @spacex / @europeanspaceagency 📸 ESA - S. Corvaja