Remote software upload
The ESA ground team has transmitted a fresh software package to the Hera spacecraft while it was roughly 140 million km away from Earth, using the agency’s deep‑space communication network.
Ready for the asteroid mission
The update equips the probe with enhanced navigation algorithms, onboard data handling and telemetry links, enabling more precise manoeuvres during the upcoming flyby of the binary asteroid system Didymos and its moon Dimorphos scheduled for autumn.
Scientific relevance
Hera’s primary goal is to characterise the physical properties of the Didymos system after the DART impact, measuring density, porosity and surface composition. The new software increases image resolution and improves gravimetric measurements, thereby strengthening the mission’s scientific return.
Technical highlights of the upgrade
- Refined navigation code for finer trajectory corrections
- Advanced data compression to lower transmission latency
- Enhanced fault‑diagnosis routines for autonomous troubleshooting
Future steps
Following the successful upload, Hera will perform instrument calibrations and finalise its approach trajectory to Dimorphos in the coming weeks. The autumn encounter marks a key milestone for ESA’s asteroid‑deflection research and will inform future planetary‑defence strategies.