Hera’s Mars & Moon Close-Up

On March 12, 2025, ESA’s Hera spacecraft pulled off something pretty special—a rare close flyby of Mars and its tiny moon Deimos. The spacecraft flew just 5,000 kilometers above the Martian surface and skimmed within 300 kilometers of Deimos. During the pass, Hera’s Asteroid Framing Camera captured stunning footage, later enhanced with color to highlight known surface features. The result? A rare and breathtaking look at these two distant worlds.

This flyby wasn’t just for show—it marked the first time Hera’s full suite of scientific instruments was used beyond Earth and the Moon. Alongside the main camera, two other instruments—the Hyperscout H (a hyperspectral imager) and TIRI (a thermal infrared imager)—were switched on to study both Mars and its dusty little moon.

Hera launched in October 2024 and is ultimately headed for the Dimorphos asteroid—the same one NASA hit with its DART mission. This Mars encounter was actually a clever gravity assist maneuver, slingshotting Hera on its way while conserving fuel.

As it zipped past Mars at a blazing 9 km per second, Hera managed to snap images of the far side of Deimos—an area we don’t see very often. Scientists think Deimos might be a captured asteroid or the result of a massive impact, and this close-up look could offer new clues. The data will also help support Japan’s upcoming MMX mission, which is heading to the Martian moons as well.

Now back on course, Hera is cruising toward its main goal—getting up close and personal with much smaller targets in the asteroid belt. But thanks to this pit stop at Mars, it’s already delivering some serious science.