SPACEX LAUNCHES EUROPE'S HERA ASTEROID MISSION AHEAD OF HURRICANE MILTON

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

NASA smashed a spacecraft into an asteroid millions of miles from Earth two years ago to test a technique for deflecting objects off a collision course with Earth. The European Space Agency launched a mission on Monday to go back to the crash site to see the damage done. The Hera mission will arrive in late 2026 to perform a comprehensive survey. It will help scientists better understand the inner structure of asteroids, allowing future mission planners to know how best to deflect hazardous objects that threaten Earth.