Swiss-backed ‘Hera’ asteroid mission hits key milestone with Mars flyby
Planetary defense mission with Swiss participation at the start
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss-backed ‘Hera’ asteroid mission hits key milestone with Mars flyby
The European “Hera” asteroid defence mission, with Switzerland on board, has hit a key milestone. On Wednesday afternoon, the probe swung by Mars to pick up speed for the next leg of its journey.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the Red Planet’s gravity will tweak the probe’s path, cutting months off the journey and saving a lot of fuel.
More
In space exploration, Switzerland punches above its weight
Nobel laureates, an exoplanet telescope, and instruments on board 50 space missions: In space, Switzerland is everywhere.
ESA says this flyby is the first time the instruments of “Hera” have been used for science, focusing on Deimos, Mars’ smaller moon. The images from this manoeuvre will be released on Thursday, but first, the probe needs to point its antenna towards Earth to send the data.
Switzerland participates in European defence against asteroids mission
The mission’s main goal is the Dimorphos asteroid. Two and a half years ago, NASA’s “Dart”(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission sent a probe to crash into Dimorphos to change its course. Now, “Hera” will study the exact effects of that impact.
To achieve this, the University of Bern has created a model simulating the probe’s impact. “The mission should help us understand how an asteroid can be deflected onto a collision course with Earth,” Martin Jutzi from the University of Bern told the Keystone-SDA news agency just before the launch last October.
ESA called Wednesday’s manoeuvre a key milestone for the probe, which is set to arrive at its destination in December 2026.
Translated from French with DeepL/sp
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss culture budget approved, after long disagreement over looted art
This content was published on
On Wednesday, the Swiss parliament found common ground on looted art after a long disagreement on this sensitive point in history.
Swiss parliamentarians back expansion of nitrochemical capacity to boost defence
This content was published on
The Swiss House of Representatives has backed a motion to expand the armaments company Nitrochemie in order to increase defence capabilities.
Swiss engineering company ABB to equip Stadler trains in the US
This content was published on
Swiss-Swedish multinational ABB will supply traction converters and batteries for Stadler’s new trains in the United States.
Former Credit Suisse manager fined CHF100K over Mozambique affair
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Department of Finance has fined a former Credit Suisse executive CHF100,000 for failing to report suspicion of money laundering.
This content was published on
The ailing steel manufacturer Swiss Steel had to contend with dwindling demand in 2024. Sales volumes and turnover fell significantly.
Swiss give green light to first regulated blockchain platform
This content was published on
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, Finma, has given the go-ahead for the first regulated Swiss platform for digital assets.
Three injured in Swiss armoured military vehicle accident in Bern
This content was published on
An army armoured personnel carrier was involved in an accident in Canton Bern on Tuesday afternoon. Three members of the army were injured.
Swiss parliament backs proposals for more oversight over big banks
This content was published on
The Swiss House of Representatives has adopted all motions put forward by the parliamentary inquiry into the Credit Suisse-UBS emergency merger.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.