Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Return to Dimorphos: Looking forward to the Hera launch

Oct 2, 2024

Joining the discussion are Michael Küppers, the project scientist for ESA's Hera spacecraft, Ambre Trujillo, digital community manager at The Planetary Society, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society. They delve into the upcoming Hera mission to study Dimorphos, exploring its significance for planetary defense. The conversation also highlights NASA's Europa Clipper challenge, blending creativity with space science. Plus, there's excitement about a potential meteor shower in 2034 and reflections on the importance of public support for NASA.

01:05:30

Creator website

Episode guests

Michael Küppers

Ambre Trujillo

Bruce Betts

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The Hera mission, launching on October 7, 2024, aims to analyze the impact crater on Dimorphos resulting from the DART mission.

NASA's Europa Clipper mission promotes public engagement through initiatives like the 'Runway to Jupiter' challenge, fostering community excitement.

Planetary defense initiatives such as Hera and DART are essential for developing methods to mitigate potential asteroid threats to Earth.

Deep dives

Introduction of Upcoming Missions

The European Space Agency's Hera mission and NASA's Europa Clipper mission are highly anticipated launches that are set to enhance our understanding of asteroids and ocean moons. Hera is particularly significant as it follows up on NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, where a spacecraft successfully impacted the moonlet Dimorphos to change its trajectory. Scheduled to launch on October 7, 2024, Hera aims to investigate the results of the DART impact, using advanced instruments to analyze the crater and measure Dimorphos' mass. Both missions symbolize a thrilling 'Launchtober' and an important step in planetary defense and exploration during World Space Week.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Hera Mission: Planetary Defense and Asteroid Insights

27min

Navigating Challenges in NASA's Budget and Celebrating Space Milestones

2min

Preparing for Planetary Defense

7min

Fashioning Space: Creativity Meets Exploration

19min

Anticipating the 2034 Meteor Shower: Southern Hemisphere Insights

5min

Exploring Earth and Beyond: A Lighthearted Discussion on Location Recognition

3min

We look forward to the Oct. 7 launch of the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft with Michael Küppers, project scientist for the mission. Then Ambre Trujillo, our digital community manager at The Planetary Society, lets you know how to celebrate Europa Clipper by joining NASA's Runway to Jupiter style challenge. We'll close out with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, and a discussion of the potential future meteor shower caused by the DART impact in What's Up.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-hera-launch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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