SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Hera
Countdown
No countdown — this launch time is not yet known to the minute.October 7, 2024 · 14:52 UTCAdd to calendar
Image: ESA - S. Corvaja
SpaceX's 408th launch · 97th this year · humanity's 6,773rd orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Weather concerns: Thick Cloud Layers Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule
Window: Oct 7, 14:52 – Oct 7, 14:52 UTC
Flight preview
Hera
Hera is a space mission in development at the European Space Agency in its Space Safety program. Its primary objective is to study the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by DART and contribute to validation of the kinetic impact method to deviate a near-Earth asteroid in a colliding trajectory with Earth. It will measure the size and the morphology of the crater created by and momentum transferred by an artificial projectile impacting an asteroid, which will allow measuring the efficiency of the deflection produced by the impact. It will also analyze the expanding debris cloud caused by the impact.
Robotic Exploration · Asteroid (Asteroid)
Booster
- B1061 · flight 23 · expendable · last flew Falcon 9 Block 5 | Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) · zone record 38/42
Watch
- SpaceX Hera — The Space Devs
- ESA's Hera mission launch (Official broadcast) — European Space Agency, ESA
- Hera Mission — SpaceX
Flight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MTank Press
- T−1MStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M14SMax-Q
- T+2M41SMECO
- T+2M44SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M51SSES-1
- T+3M33SFairing Separation
- T+3M33SFairing Separation
- T+7M39SSECO-1
- T+7M39SSECO-1
- T+52M22SSES-2
- T+54MSECO-1
- T+1H16M2SPayload Separation
Updates
Hera signal acquired and all systems nominal.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/7/2024 · source
Spacecraft separation.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/7/2024 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/7/2024 · source
Updated launch weather, 60% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/7/2024 · source
Official Webcast by European Space Agency, ESA has started
LL2 · 10/7/2024 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/7/2024 · source
Weather is 15% favorable for launch.
Nosu · 10/6/2024 · source
Launch time confirmed per marine navigation warnings.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/2/2024 · source
Added launch time.
Cosmic_Penguin · 9/1/2024 · source
NET October 7.
Cosmic_Penguin · 5/12/2024 · source
News
Hera's Mars flyby guided impact study of Deimos moon
From the ESA Blogs.
Cruise control: the team guiding Hera to its asteroid
First the European Space Agency's Hera asteroid mission separated from its launcher on 7 October 2024, next its lengthy ‘cruise phase’ began – the car-sized spacecraft’s journey through millions of kilometres of nothingness to converge on its rocky destination.
Your chance to run software in deep space on ESA's asteroid mission
The European Space Agency is offering European researchers and companies a rare and exciting opportunity to run their innovative software directly in deep space aboard ESA’s Hera mission, millions of kilometres distant.
Deep space software upgrade for Hera’s asteroid visit
Operating across 140 million km of space, the control team for ESA’s Hera mission have succeeded in upgrading the software running it, leaving the spacecraft ready to explore the distant Dimorphos and Didymos asteroids this autumn.
Pad — Space Launch Complex 40
Local pad time: Oct 7, 10:52 AM EDT
400 launches from this pad · 1,128 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
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