**ESA’s Hera Mission Prepares for Launch Despite Falcon 9 Setback**

The European Space Agency is gearing up for the launch of its Hera spacecraft, set to study the asteroid Didymos and its moon, Dimorphos. The mission is planned to proceed despite the grounding of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket due to an anomaly in its last mission.

During an October 2 briefing, ESA officials confirmed preparations for the October 7 launch from Cape Canaveral are ongoing, including encasing the Hera spacecraft in the Falcon 9's payload fairing. This preparation continues even as an upper-stage issue in a September 28 launch resulted in the Falcon 9’s grounding. SpaceX reported an off-course deorbit burn, necessitating an investigation before further launches.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, known for openly sharing company developments, has notably stayed silent on social media regarding this anomaly, despite his active presence on other topics. On September 30, the FAA mandated that SpaceX investigate the malfunction, although the investigation does not need to be completed before resuming launches if public safety is assured.

Ian Carnelli, Hera project manager at ESA, noted that the mission team receives daily updates on the Falcon 9 situation, expressing confidence in SpaceX’s progress and commitment. "We are maintaining the nominal launch campaign," Carnelli stated, expressing hope for FAA approval by October 6.

The launch window for Hera extends until October 27, with NASA requesting a 48-hour pause before the launch of its Europa Clipper mission on October 10. Hera’s timeline allows it to reach Didymos and Dimorphos by late 2026, following up on NASA's 2022 DART mission, which altered Dimorphos' orbit to demonstrate asteroid deflection techniques.

Hera aims to assess the aftermath of the DART impact, analyzing the efficiency of the collision and the momentum transferred to Dimorphos. Additional goals include observing surface changes and investigating the impact's effects, which holds significance for future planetary defense strategies.

Equipped with 12 instruments, Hera will deploy ESA's first deep-space cubesats for close-up observations if debris poses a hazard. The mission, costing 363 million euros, came under budget, allowing ESA to allocate an additional 20 million euros for the Ramses mission, targeting the asteroid Apophis in 2029.

Carnelli reflected on the challenges, recalling doubts during the 2016 ESA ministerial conference. Approved in 2019, Hera faced a strict budget and schedule, compounded by COVID-19 and supply chain issues, but ultimately prevailed through collaborative efforts.

"The fact that we had a very strict launch window, I think, pushed every single supplier to do their best,” Carnelli praised, appreciating the collective achievement of the project team.