OBSERVER SKY VIEW
Awaiting observer dataWhere to look
Compass projection of the current sky direction. The chart shows direction, not brightness or a photograph of the sky.
NASA/JPL HORIZONS EPHEMERIS
Where Is Hera Spacecraft Now? Live Position & Distance
ESA · Didymos / Dimorphos · Launched 2024-10-07
Planetary defence investigation
Hera is heading to the Didymos–Dimorphos system to study the aftermath of DART’s impact. It is a follow-up investigation, not a second impactor. Current positions are calculated ephemerides, not camera images.
FROM EARTH NOWWaiting for dataSample timestamp will appear here
FROM SUN NOWWaiting for dataSample timestamp will appear here
ONE-WAY RADIO DELAY—Geometric light time to Earth
TIME SINCE LAUNCH—Launch date: 2024-10-07 · calendar-day estimate
Loading current samples independently of the map date.
Radio signal simulator
Estimate a signal’s travel time from a fixed distance sample. No signal is transmitted. Spacecraft motion, processing time and station scheduling are excluded.
An ideal immediate reply takes twice the one-way light time.
Explore mission dates
Snapshots use 12:00 UTC on the selected day, not exact encounter time. Check the map timestamp and data availability. The current summary above stays independent.
Drag to rotate · Scroll/pinch to zoom · Tap a planet to focus
Solar System ViewPlanet sizes are enlarged for visibility; orbital positions use JPL ephemerides.
Loading mission ephemeris…UTC --:--:--
Hera · FROM YOUR LOCATION
Find the spacecraft in the sky
See where the spacecraft appears in the sky for the location selected above. The chart shows direction and does not guarantee naked-eye or telescope visibility.
Waiting for your selected location…
Right ascension · ICRF—
Declination · ICRF—
Sky direction—
Above horizon—
Rise, highest point and set
Rise above horizon—
Highest altitude—
Set below horizon—
Rise, highest point and set are estimates. Atmospheric refraction and terrain are excluded.
A calculated direction does not imply optical visibility.
Distance from your location
Observer range in astronomical units. Close flybys and maneuvers can change the distance quickly.
About Hera
ESA’s planetary-defence mission travelling to survey the Didymos binary asteroid system after the DART impact.
DestinationDidymos / Dimorphos
Launched2024-10-07
AgencyESA
DAILY SKY POSITION
12:00 UTC sample · dates and times labeled UTCThe next 15 days
| Date (UTC) | RA (°) | Dec (°) | Azimuth (°) | Altitude (°) | Range (AU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select your observing location above to load the position table. | |||||
These are observer-based line-of-sight calculations, independent of the compressed scale used in the 3D voyage map. No brightness prediction is made.
TRACKER GUIDE & MISSION EXPLAINER
Hera Spacecraft Tracker: Didymos, Dimorphos and Planetary Defence
Hera is ESA's planetary-defence mission to the binary asteroid system Didymos and its small moon Dimorphos. The tracker above follows Hera's interplanetary trajectory with JPL Horizons ephemerides and displays current distance, light time and velocity.
The spacecraft launched on October 7, 2024 and is scheduled to rendezvous with Didymos in November 2026. Its investigation follows NASA's DART impact, which deliberately changed Dimorphos' orbit in September 2022.
Turning an impact into a measured experiment
DART demonstrated kinetic impact by striking Dimorphos, but remote observations cannot determine every physical detail. Hera will measure the moonlet's mass, shape, surface and interior, examine the impact site and refine knowledge of how efficiently momentum was transferred.
Those measurements help convert one successful demonstration into a better understood technique that could inform a future response to a hazardous asteroid. Didymos itself is not on a collision course with Earth.
How the tracker follows Hera
Horizons position and velocity vectors are sampled at set times and interpolated for the page. The visual cannot depict the tiny binary asteroid system at the same scale as the interplanetary route.
Rendezvous differs from a high-speed flyby: Hera must approach with a suitably small relative velocity for extended proximity operations. Official ESA updates explain the navigation and arrival sequence.
Educational questions
- How can a kinetic impact change an asteroid moon's orbital period?
- Why must mass be measured to understand momentum transfer?
- What makes navigation around a low-gravity binary system difficult?
- How will Hera's CubeSats complement the main spacecraft?
- Why does planetary defence require years of observation and preparation?
Limitations
The tracker does not report hazard probability, autonomous-navigation status or close-proximity operations. It is not an asteroid-warning service. Ephemeris values describe the spacecraft trajectory; ESA and recognised planetary-defence organisations provide official mission and risk information.
Why measuring the result matters
Changing an asteroid's motion is only useful if scientists understand how target size, structure and composition affect the outcome. A porous rubble pile can respond differently from a solid monolith. Hera's measurements of Dimorphos and the impact site will constrain those unknowns. The page therefore connects spacecraft navigation with experimental science: DART supplied the controlled action, telescopes measured the initial orbital change, and Hera will inspect the physical result at close range.
MISSION REFERENCE · RESEARCH & TRAJECTORY
Hera science, planetary-defence measurements and the route to Didymos
DART impact and Hera investigation
NASA’s DART spacecraft struck Dimorphos, the small companion of asteroid Didymos, in September 2022 and changed its orbit. ESA’s Hera mission is designed to examine the binary system afterward. The impact and the later survey are complementary steps: a measured orbital change is a strong result, while close measurements of mass, shape, material and crater structure help explain how momentum was transferred. Hera’s mission to the target should not be described as a second asteroid impact test.
Why carry two small spacecraft
ESA plans to release the Milani and Juventas CubeSats near Didymos. Milani is intended to examine composition, while Juventas carries radar to investigate the interior of Dimorphos. Radio links and close-proximity operations also provide experience for future distributed missions. These instrument roles are scientific plans and may change during operations. The tracker shows Hera’s position in interplanetary space; it does not independently follow each CubeSat after release unless a separate supported ephemeris exists.
What planetary defence can learn
An asteroid’s response to impact depends on properties such as size, interior cohesion and surface material. Without those measurements it is difficult to extend one demonstration confidently to different objects. Hera’s close survey helps refine models used in planetary-defence planning. It does not mean Didymos or Dimorphos presents an immediate danger to Earth. ESA’s mission updates are the appropriate source for encounter status and actual measurements rather than an approximate distance graph.
Reading the journey to Didymos
The displayed Earth range and light time describe communication geometry. They do not directly state Hera’s remaining distance to Dimorphos. Solar-system map distances are compressed, so rely on numeric ephemeris values and source timestamps. Around a future encounter, a curve sampled daily can miss a brief closest approach; avoid interpreting its lowest plotted point as a precise flyby time. Rise and set estimates describe where the spacecraft’s line of sight lies relative to the geometric horizon, not whether it can be seen.
Frequently asked questions
Is Didymos dangerous to Earth?
The Didymos-Dimorphos system used for the DART and Hera experiment is not on a collision course with Earth.
What did DART change?
DART's impact shortened Dimorphos' orbital period around Didymos. Hera will measure the result in much greater detail.
Will Hera impact the asteroid?
Its primary mission is a rendezvous and detailed survey, not a repeat of the DART kinetic impact.
When will Hera arrive?
ESA currently gives November 2026 for rendezvous with Didymos.
Sources and further reading
Educational-use note: SpaceTracker.live is an independent educational website and is not an official mission-control service. Positions, paths, distances and pass predictions are computed from third-party orbital elements or ephemerides. They may be delayed or approximate and must not be used for navigation, collision avoidance or safety-critical decisions.