Hera would be the first-ever spacecraft to visit a double asteroid. The asteroid system - named Didymos - is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to our planet, and even the smaller of the two would be big enough to destroy an entire city if it were to collide with Earth. Hera will help ESA to find out if it would be possible to deflect such an asteroid. The mission will revolutionise our understanding of asteroids and how to protect ourselves from them.

Access the Hera mission animations.