Tooltip
These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

The Incredible adventures of the Hera mission

This series of videos introduce NASA's DART spacecraft which was set on a course to collide with an asteroid Dimorphos in October 2022, to create a crater and alter its velocity. 

The series starts with 'Presenting Hera' a video introducing Hera, the asteroid detective, and its adventure to travel to and explore a double asteroid system know as Didymos.  It explains why the NASA mission is important as it will help understand how Earth might be protected from a potential asteroid impact in the future.

The second video, 'The curious case of the missing planet' discusses how 18th century astronomers thought there was a missing planet between Mars and Jupiter and then discovered that there were lots of 'little planets' which were called asteroids.

The final video, 'Creating a crater' explains why NASA's DART spacecraft collided with Dimorphos, what craters are and why they are important.

Presenting Hera

The curious case of the missing planet

Creating a crater

 

Show health and safety information

Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

Information on the permitted use of this resource is covered by the Category Three Content section in STEM Learning’s Terms and conditions.