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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Hera’s Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI) instrument captured this image of Earth and the Moon from a distance of approximately 1.4 million kilometres. Earth is in the centre of the image and oriented with north pointing upwards, showing the East coast of the USA and the Atlantic Ocean. The Moon is visible in the top right of the image.
TIRI will image the Dimorphos asteroid in the mid-infrared spectral region to chart the temperature on the asteroid’s surface. By charting the 'thermal inertia' of surface regions – or how rapidly their temperature changes – physical properties such as roughness, particle size distribution and porosity can be deduced. TIRI was supplied by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, manufactured by Meisei Electric Co. Ltd. and inherited from the instrument onboard the agency’s Hayabusa2 asteroid mission, with contributions from The Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO).