SpaceX Launches ESA's Hera Mission on October 7 at 10:52 AM ET Despite Stormy Weather

Oct 7, 2024, 02:49 PM

SpaceX successfully launched the European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission on October 7 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 10:52 AM ET. The mission aims to study the impact of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on the asteroid Dimorphos. Despite stormy weather and the approaching Hurricane Milton, the launch proceeded as scheduled with a 60% favorable weather forecast. The Falcon 9 rocket, which was grounded after a second-stage malfunction during the Crew-9 mission, was cleared for this flight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) because the Hera mission does not involve a second-stage reentry. The launch was fully expendable, with both stages consuming all their propellant. Hera is expected to arrive at the asteroid system Didymos and Dimorphos in October 2026 after a Mars gravity assist flyby in March 2026. ESA confirmed the acquisition of signal from the spacecraft, indicating all systems are operational.