Hera - ESA

[Flyaway]

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The first instrument to measure gravity on the surface of an asteroid undergoes shaker testing at #ESATech’s Mechanical Systems Lab. The GRASS gravimeter will land on the #Dimorphos #asteroid on the Juventas #CubeSat, itself deployed by @ESA’s #HeraMission https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

The L-shaped GRASS gravimeter, the size of two smartphones stuck together, is designed to measure a gravity level of less than a millionth of Earth’s own. The Gravimeter for Small Solar System Objects has been developed by @ORB_KSB with @emxys https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

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GRASS is designed to measure such miniscule gravity levels as the #Dimorphos asteroid #HeraMission will deliver it to is the smallest planetary object ever to be visited by spacecraft. At 160 m in diameter it is about the same size as #Rome’s #Colosseum https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

The #Dimorphos #asteroid became famous last year when it was impacted by NASA’s #DARTMission, shifting its orbit. @ESA’s #HeraMission will gather close-up data to better model the physics of kinetic impact for #PlanetaryDefense (pic from @LICIACube) https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

https://twitter.com/x/status/1660591289627299843

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Once by #Dimorphos, #HeraMission will deploy the #Juventas & #Milani CubeSats. @GomSpaceGroup's Juventas is equipped with a mini-radar while #Milani will perform mineral prospecting. Juventas will fall to to the #asteroid, at which point GRASS begins work https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

The GRASS gravimeter also underwent trial by vacuum. Its week-long thermal vacuum testing inside this chamber included temperature shifts from minus to plus 35 degrees C. Next the gravimeter will be placed in the Juventas CubeSat at @GomSpaceGroup in https://esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Instrument_to_measure_asteroid_gravity_tested_for_space

https://twitter.com/x/status/1660591296686309376

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The GRASS-carrying Juventas #CubeSat will then end up aboard @ESA's #HeraMission, due to launch in October 2024. Hera & its 2 CubeSats will perform a close-up survey of #Dimorphos, the only asteroid to have had its orbit shifted by human action

View: https://youtu.be/MErloMuo55o