May 30, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source proofread by European Space Agency As ESA's Hera spacecraft for planetary defense goes through pre-flight testing, the system that will steer it around its target binary asteroid system is also undergoing its final checks for space. Validation of the mission's Guidance Navigation and Control system's readiness for proximity operations within this challenging, ultra-low gravity environment through a long series of virtual maneuvers, carried out in parallel in Spain and Germany.
At the headquarters of Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) system developer GMV in Madrid, a replica of Hera's On-Board Computer is currently being put through proximity operations around a model asteroid imaged with a camera, for maximum realism, with other sensors and actuators emulated using customized "check-out" equipment. Meanwhile, at the premises of spacecraft manufacturer OHB in Bremen, tests are taking place using a full-scale hardware replica of the spacecraft, called the Hera Avionics Test Bench. "The system for Hera's interplanetary cruise phase—which of course is the most critical to be ready for launch—is now fully tested using the actual spacecraft flight model," explains ESA GNC engineer Jesus Gil Fernandez.
"This phase will end at asteroid arrival when camera ima.