3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
[PPS03-18] First results from the Asteroid Framing Cameras on ESA's Hera mission
★Invited Papers
Keywords:asteroid, planetary defense, remote sensing
On September 26 2022, NASA’s successfully hit asteroid Dimorphos (secondary of the binary asteroid Didymos) with the DART kinetic impactor. To fully characterise the physical properties of the objects, and measure precisely the effects of this impact in the context of planetary defence, ESA launched the Hera mission in October 2024, scheduled for arrival at Didymos in fall 2026.
Among the core payload of the mission, the Asteroid Framing Cameras are two identical imaging systems that will support navigation and scientific activities, by acquiring images under various distances and observing geometries during the course of the mission. Built by Jena-Optronik (Germany), the cameras match the requirements designed by the science team and will provide data that supports a wide range of investigations: hazard detection, system dynamics, mapping, shape reconstruction, morphology, albedo. Each instrument is equipped with a 5.5 x 5.5-degree field of view, and a pixel resolution of 93.7 micro-radians, and shall provide the necessary data to address the mission requirements.
We expect to deliver global mapping of the two components of the binary system at spatial scales of 2–3 m/pixel in the Early Characterisation Phase, 1–2 m/pixel in the Detailed Characterisation Phase, and 0.5-2 m/pixel in the Close Operation Phase. Dedicated flybys will bring the resolution down to 10 cm/pixel on specific areas of interest on Dimorphos, such as the DART impact site and the JUVENTAS cubesat landing site.
In this meeting, we will summarize the activities that took place with the AFC in the first 8 months after launch, including a Mars swing-by and observations of the far side of Deimos. We will then summarize the operations envisioned for the asteroid phase, and discuss the science goals and expected performace of the instrument.
Among the core payload of the mission, the Asteroid Framing Cameras are two identical imaging systems that will support navigation and scientific activities, by acquiring images under various distances and observing geometries during the course of the mission. Built by Jena-Optronik (Germany), the cameras match the requirements designed by the science team and will provide data that supports a wide range of investigations: hazard detection, system dynamics, mapping, shape reconstruction, morphology, albedo. Each instrument is equipped with a 5.5 x 5.5-degree field of view, and a pixel resolution of 93.7 micro-radians, and shall provide the necessary data to address the mission requirements.
We expect to deliver global mapping of the two components of the binary system at spatial scales of 2–3 m/pixel in the Early Characterisation Phase, 1–2 m/pixel in the Detailed Characterisation Phase, and 0.5-2 m/pixel in the Close Operation Phase. Dedicated flybys will bring the resolution down to 10 cm/pixel on specific areas of interest on Dimorphos, such as the DART impact site and the JUVENTAS cubesat landing site.
In this meeting, we will summarize the activities that took place with the AFC in the first 8 months after launch, including a Mars swing-by and observations of the far side of Deimos. We will then summarize the operations envisioned for the asteroid phase, and discuss the science goals and expected performace of the instrument.