Last Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched a space probe called HERA. The ultimate goal is planetary defense: against asteroids. Author and scientist Christian Mähr explains what can and cannot be done against such a monstrous guy from outer space.
HERA is a technical abbreviation and refers to the Greek goddess “Hera”, wife of the god Zeus and protector of family, home and hearth. The probe is part of a program officially intended to defend Earth. No, not against evil aliens, but against “evil” asteroids that, for whatever tricky celestial mechanical reasons, head for the inner solar system and, with a lot of bad luck, hit Earth. That would be more than unpleasant: the Chelyabinsk asteroid that exploded in Siberia a few years ago was only 20 meters in diameter and caused no deaths, but thousands of injuries – through shattered windows.
Source: Krone
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