The ESA's Hera mission, launched to study asteroid deflection, conducted a significant flyby of Mars during its journey to the Didymos binary asteroid system. This maneuver served a dual purpose: using Mars's gravity to adjust its trajectory, saving time and fuel, and allowing for the first scientific use of its instruments beyond Earth and the Moon. Hera successfully imaged Mars and Deimos, the smaller Martian moon, gathering valuable data with its camera, hyperspectral imager, and thermal infrared imager. These observations of Deimos, some conducted jointly with ESA's Mars Express, will inform future missions like JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX).Get more free and premium content on the SpaceInfo Club website: join us!#mars #space #mission