Europe's Hera spacecraft begins close inspections of an asteroid rammed by NASA in a 2022 test

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A European spacecraft has begun close inspections of an asteroid rammed by NASA four years ago in a planetary defense test. The European Space Agency announced Wednesday that the Hera spacecraft is now studying Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos from just 15 miles to 18 miles (25 kilometers to 30 kilometers) away. kAm}p$p’D s2CE DA2464C27E 56=:36C2E6=J D=2>>65 :?E@ =:EE=6 s:>@CA9@D :? a_aa E@ D66 H96E96C DF49 2 5676?D:G6 >@G6 >:89E 96=A D2G6 t2CE9 7C@> 2 <:==6C DA246 C@4< @?6 52J]k^Am kAm%96 :>A24E D9@CE6?65 E96 >@@?=6EVD @C3:E 2C@F?5 s:5J>@D] |@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ :E ?F5865 E96 >@@?=6E :?E@ 2 D=:89E=J 5:776C6?E A2E9 2C@F?5 E96 DF?]k^Am kAm}6IE >@?E9[ E96 D>2== 42C\D:K65 w6C2[ =2F?4965 :? a_ac[ H:== G6?EFC6 6G6? 4=@D6C — ;FDE `a >:=6D Wa_ <:=@>6E6CDX 2H2J]k^Am kAmt$p @77:4:2=D 4@?D:56C E9:D 2 Q4C2D9 D:E6 :?G6DE:82E:@?Q H@CE9J @7 :ED 7:?6DE C@3@E:4 56E64E:G6] w6C2 :D 42CCJ:?8 ad D4:6?46 :?DECF>6?ED 2D H6== 2D 2 A2:C @7 D9@63@I\D:K65 rF36D2ED E@ DFCG6J s:>@CA9@D 6G6? >@C6 4=@D6=J 2?5 2EE6>AE E@ =2?5 @? :E]k^Am kAm%96 s2CE DA2464C27E — D9@CE 7@C s@F3=6 pDE6C@:5 #65:C64E:@? %6DE — D6?E CF33=6 2?5 6G6? 3@F=56CD 7=J:?8 @77 s:>@CA9@D[ AC@G:5:?8 2? 6IEC2 <:4< E@ E96 :>A24E’D >@>6?EF>] %96 563C:D EC2:= 6IE6?565 E9@FD2?5D @7 >:=6D W>@C6 E92? `_[___ <:=@>6E6CDX :?E@ DA246 7@C >@?E9D]k^Am kAm$@>6 @7 E92E 563C:D 4@F=5 DE:== 36 :? E96 G:4:?:EJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ D4:6?E:DED]k^Am kAms:>@CA9@D :D 2? 6DE:>2E65 d__ 766E W`d` >6E6CDX :? 5:2>6E6C] s:5J>@D :D C@F89=J a[de_ 766E Wfg_ >6E6CDX :? 5:2>6E6C]k^Am