The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hera Mission captivated space enthusiasts on Saturday during their public conference in the Centre Universitaire Méditerranéen in Nice, pushing the boundaries of cosmic exploration. From unprecedented asteroid deflection techniques to exclusive glimpses of Mars and its moons, the event offered a thrilling window into humanity’s latest space adventures.
Monaco Life attended the conference, where leading space scientists shared remarkable insights into some of the most ambitious space missions of our time. The event kicked off with a presentation by Dr. Patrick Michel, director of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Hera mission member, who walked the audience through the intriguing world of asteroid detection and prevention.
‘’We had no clue how the asteroid looked, for us it was just a mathematical model initially,’’ Dr. Michel explained, ‘’then we saw the camera of the spacecraft approaching the surface and realised that our first test was going to be successful. It is something I can only hope for people to feel once in their lives.’’
See also: Monaco to have front-row seat to Apophis asteroid’s historic Earth flyby
The revelation of the first-ever successful asteroid deflection test left the public awestruck. Michel reassured attendees that the possibility of a catastrophic asteroid impact in the next century remains extremely slim, demonstrating the remarkable progress in space safety technologies.
Naomi Murdoch, another Hera mission member, then unveiled exclusive images of Mars and its moon Deimos from an unprecedented angle. ‘’Most spacecrafts that go past Mars can only see its moon from Mars’s perspective,’’ Murdoch said. ‘’This was the first time we managed to pass behind it and witness the other side of Deimos.’’
The mission’s achievements didn’t stop there. Ian Carneli from the European Space Agency shared the challenges of launching their space probe. ‘’We signed the project during the pandemic, so suddenly many components were missing,’’ he told Monaco Life. ‘’After four years of incredible adventure, we finally put the space probe on the SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher on 7th October 2024, and now we have a beautiful space probe in space that works brilliantly.’’
The events highlight: Driving in space
Perhaps the most exciting revelation came with the MMX mission, which plans to deploy a small rover built by France and Germany on one of the Mars’s moons. Murdoch humorously noted that the rover will move at a snail’s pace due to the moon’s gravity – any faster, and it could roll over or fly off the surface.
The conference concluded with an immersive experience, inviting attendees to try on virtual reality masks and taste the excitement of space exploration. Dr. Michel also shared a preview of the asteroid Apophis, which will visibly pass by Earth on Friday 13th April 2029 – a cosmic event that promises to captivate the world.
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