Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 26 September 2022 humans made our first measurable change to a Solar System object, as NASA’s DART spacecraft impacted the Dimorphos asteroid, shifting its orbit around its larger Didymos parent asteroid.
This grand experiment was a success, but many unknowns remain. What is the precise mass and structure of Dimorphos? How did the impact change the Great-Pyramid-sized asteroid? Has it been left with a giant crater, sent spinning wildly or perhaps reshaped entirely? Finding out will help make the ‘kinetic impactor’ method of planetary defence into a well-understood technique that could be deployed reliably if we ever need it for real.
That’s why ESA’s Hera mission is on its way to Dimorphos to perform a close-up crash scene investigation. Arriving in autumn 2026, the suite of instruments aboard the spacecraft’s topside ‘Asteroid deck’ will perform a detailed survey. Then Hera will release a pair of shoebox-sized ‘CubeSats’ to fly even closer and eventually attempt to land.
Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/Humans_changed_an_asteroid._Now_we_find_out_how
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We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
On 26 September 2022 humans made our first measurable change to a Solar System object, as NASA’s DART spacecraft impacted the Dimorphos asteroid, shifting its orbit around its larger Didymos parent asteroid.
This grand experiment was a success, but many unknowns remain. What is the precise mass and structure of Dimorphos? How did the impact change the Great-Pyramid-sized asteroid? Has it been left with a giant crater, sent spinning wildly or perhaps reshaped entirely? Finding out will help make the ‘kinetic impactor’ method of planetary defence into a well-understood technique that could be deployed reliably if we ever need it for real.
That’s why ESA’s Hera mission is on its way to Dimorphos to perform a close-up crash scene investigation. Arriving in autumn 2026, the suite of instruments aboard the spacecraft’s topside ‘Asteroid deck’ will perform a detailed survey. Then Hera will release a pair of shoebox-sized ‘CubeSats’ to fly even closer and eventually attempt to land.
Credits: European Space Agency (ESA)
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/Humans_changed_an_asteroid._Now_we_find_out_how
★ Subscribe: bit.ly/ESAsubscribe and click twice on the bell button to receive our notifications.
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
![How water and air bubbles act in space 💧 [French with English subtitles]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y0dMKWK-GCw/mqdefault.jpg "How water and air bubbles act in space 💧 [French with English subtitles]
Our astronaut Sophie Adenot shared this video on her social media channels with the caption:
[EN] Day 065, orbit 1005 — Sunday morning science with Sophie, episode 4: Water, air bubbles, and centrifuge force.
Important note: onboard the Station, we drink from soft pouches that we fill and refill with recycled water. This plastic bottle is only used for fun science demonstrations.
[FR] Jour 065, orbite 1005 – La science du dimanche matin avec Sophie, épisode 4 : Eau, bulles d’air et force centrifuge.
Remarque importante: à bord de la Station, nous avons chacun une gourde souple que nous remplissons avec de l’eau recyclée. Cette bouteille en plastique est un accessoire utilisé uniquement pour des démonstrations scientifiques ludiques !
📹 ESA/NASA
#ESA #Astronaut #ISS")
