SPACEBEL plays key role in ESA's Hera mission

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:35

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Redu Belgium (SPX) Oct 07, 2024

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission, named after the Greek goddess of marriage, marks Europe's first step in planetary defense. In collaboration with NASA's DART probe, Hera forms the second phase of a global initiative to test methods of asteroid deflection, aimed at protecting Earth from potential asteroid threats. The mission's target is the Didymos binary asteroid system, which co

SPACEBEL plays key role in ESA's Hera mission
by Clarence Oxford
Redu Belgium (SPX) Oct 07, 2024

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Hera mission, named after the Greek goddess of marriage, marks Europe's first step in planetary defense. In collaboration with NASA's DART probe, Hera forms the second phase of a global initiative to test methods of asteroid deflection, aimed at protecting Earth from potential asteroid threats. The mission's target is the Didymos binary asteroid system, which consists of the main asteroid Didymos, 780 meters wide, and its smaller companion, Dimorphos, measuring 160 meters across.

SPACEBEL, a key player in space technology, is contributing significantly to the mission through its software expertise across various areas.

The Hera Mission
Hera is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The launch window spans from October 7 to October 27, 2024. Hera follows NASA's DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, which in September 2022 successfully impacted Dimorphos, altering its orbit around Didymos by approximately 1%. While the impact was observed via telescopes, radar, and CubeSat imagery, many questions remain, given the vast distance from Earth.

Hera will travel for two years, passing Mars in March 2025, and is expected to reach its destination by the end of 2026. The 800kg spacecraft will examine the post-impact crater and study the binary asteroid system more closely, providing critical insights into asteroid structure and behavior. Hera will conduct a series of close flybys, mapping the surface of Dimorphos and demonstrating autonomous navigation techniques.

Hera's mission also includes deploying two European-built deep space CubeSats, Milani and Juventas, designed to gather detailed data on the asteroid's composition and structure. These CubeSats will test new inter-satellite communication technologies, contributing further to understanding how to mitigate asteroid threats.

SPACEBEL's Contribution
Thierry du Pre-Werson, Managing Director of SPACEBEL, expressed his excitement about the launch: "Hera is one of SPACEBEL's flagship projects, which perfectly demonstrates our transversal skills at all levels of a Space mission: our achievements in the context of Hera cover on-board software, simulation systems as well as the ground segment."

For the spacecraft's flight system, SPACEBEL has developed software that enables the spacecraft to operate with a high degree of autonomy in deep space, comparable to a driverless car. This central software controls essential spacecraft functions such as the command and control of its subsystems, including its cameras for both observation and navigation. The software also facilitates communication between the main spacecraft and its CubeSats, as well as with Earth.

Additionally, SPACEBEL has created various simulation systems for the Hera mission, including:

- A Software Validation Facility (SVF) simulator, which validates the spacecraft's onboard software by simulating satellite elements like the onboard computer and platform equipment.

- A Training Operations Maintenance Simulator (TOMS), which supports systems testing, operator training, and regular mission tests, and can be used to analyze any anomalies.

- An enhanced SVF simulator (eSVF), which extends the SVF by adding physical and mathematical models of the spacecraft's equipment and orbital dynamics. This simulator performs advanced tests of Hera's Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems.

For the mission's ground operations, SPACEBEL is managing the Cubesat Mission Operations Centre at ESA's ESEC center in Redu, Belgium. This center oversees all activities for Milani and Juventas, handling mission requests, remote control, telemetry, and data exchange between the CubeSats and the main spacecraft. It also acts as a liaison with scientific teams, translating their data requests into operational commands.

Du Pre-Werson proudly concluded, "SPACEBEL is extremely proud to be playing a major role in this pioneering mission dedicated to safeguarding our planet Earth. With more than 50 Space missions to their credit, our engineering teams are fully committed to this extraordinary project requiring cutting-edge IT technologies so as to guarantee the performance and quality of our solutions to the full satisfaction of our customers and of ESA in particular."