Juventas - Radar Visionary

ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defence will probe the Didymos twin asteroid system, joined by a pioneering pair of breadbox-sized ‘CubeSats’.

One of these CubeSats is called Juventas. Developed by Danish company GomSpace and GMV in Romania, Juventas will measure the gravity field, as well as the internal structure, of the smaller of the two Didymos asteroids. In close orbit around Didymoon, Juventas will line up with Hera to perform satellite-to-satellite radio-science experiments and carry out a low-frequency radar survey of the asteroid to unveil its interior.

At the end of its month-long mission, Juventas will also measure the forces involved in its concluding landing on the smaller of the two asteroids.