The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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ESA's Hera asteroid mission for planetary defence has its instruments hosted on its top 'asteroid deck'. Facing forward is Hera's main 1.13 m High Gain Antenna, also being employed for radio science. On both corners above it are two pairs of orbit control thrusters and projecting out in between them is the Low Gain Antenna.
Up on the asteroid deck on the lower right side can be seen the SMC, Spacecraft Monitoring Camera, which will be used in particular to observe the deployment of Hera's two CubeSats. In the centre of the asteroid deck stands the cylinder-shaped PALT, or Planetary Altimeter, which will perform laser range finding for navigation and science. To the left and right of the PALT are the two rectangular-shaped Deep Space Deployers, carrying the Milani CubeSat (on the left) and Juventas CubeSat (on the right) respectively. Directly above Milani on the left stands the HyperScout H hyperspectral imager. The cylinders projecting up at an angle to the left and right are Hera's startrackers, while the two circular cameras form the Asteroid Framing Camera for main navigation and science observations. In between them is the TIRI, Thermal Infrared, instrument provided by JAXA.