Asteroids on collision course /The Hera-mission’s journey to Dimorphos

Throughout our Solar System, asteroids are lurking in the dark.

Even though the vastness of deep space seems incomprehensible, we are still at risk of being on collision course with these cosmic cliffs.

How can you avoid a rock the size of a mountain? How fast to we need to react? Is it possible to avoid an impact of mass destruction – and how?

It sounds like science fiction but is closer to reality than we might think.

Thanks to the European mission, Hera, which will be launched towards asteroid Dimorphos this October, along with the American DART-mission, which purposely crashed into the very same asteroid a few years ago, in order to alter its orbit – we are closer than ever to answering these questions.

Join us this evening, as we dive into the science of the Hera mission in the brilliant company of asteroid expert Line Drube and space engineer Lorcan Kelleher.

Hera is not only significant due to its potential in strengthening our future planetary defense; but riding along on the mission is the Danish nanosatellite, Juventas.

Juventas is developed by Danish satellite company GOMSpace and is equipped with the smallest radar instrument ever flown into space.

The goal of the satellite is to gain knowledge about the internal structure of these cosmic cliffs by obtaining the very first radar data of an asteroid.

This October, the Hera mission will be launched from the iconic Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After spending two years venturing through space, Hera and Juventas’ mission will begin in earnest, as the spacecrafts reach the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos.

This is your chance to meet two leading experts, who will bring us up and close to the Hera-mission with insights on how scientists work to secure the future of our planet, while simultaneously gaining knowledge on the building blocks of our Universe.

Line Drube from DTU Space, is the project director of ESA’s Space Weather Expert Service Center for Geomagnetic Conditions.

Line has previously been part of several projects regarding planetary defense, as well as been on UN’s Space Mission Planning Advisory Group.

Lorcan Kelleher is a space engineer specializing in nanosatellites. As space systems engineer at GOMSpace, Lorcan has been deeply involved in the development and construction of the Juventas satellite.

This event will have lectures in both Danish and English.