Hera images capture dark side of Martian moon

Hera transmits images of the little-known far side of a Martian moon Keystone-SDA

The European asteroid defence mission Hera has captured images of the Martian moon Deimos.

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The Hera probe, which has Swiss involvement, deployed its scientific instruments beyond Earth and the moon for the first time.

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The European Space Agency ESA presented the images to the media on Thursday. “This was the first exciting exploration experience for the Hera team,” said mission manager Ian Carnelli, according to an ESA statement.

Hera flew past the planet Mars on Wednesday to gain momentum for the rest of its journey. The images taken during the mission arrived on Earth early Thursday morning.

According to the ESA, the images taken by Deimos show the previously little-known rear side of the Martian moon. ESA researchers are hoping to gain new insights into the formation of the moon.

The target of the mission is the asteroid Dimorphos, which was deflected from its orbit by a NASA probe. Researchers from the University of Bern are involved in the mission.

Translated from German with DeepL/mga

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