Armageddon defence system: The new missions that could protect Earth from world-killing asteroids – BBC Science Focus
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Excerpt:
The Hera spacecraft
Hera is a 1.2-tonne (2,645lb) spacecraft carrying five science instruments that will gather complementary data to help characterise Dimorphos.
There are two cameras, one working at visible wavelengths and another in the infrared; a hyperspectral imager that allows light to be split into small bands to aid geological and compositional investigations; a laser altimeter to gauge how far Hera is from the asteroid’s surface; and a radio experiment that helps determine the asteroids’ masses and gravitational fields.
In addition, Hera will also deploy two CubeSats, nanosatellites named Milani and Juventas. These small, secondary spacecraft will carry out additional investigations, including radar and spectroscopic analyses.
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