HERA: Satellite with Romanian Technology Successfully Launched

Hera: The Mission with Romanian Brainpower

GMV Romania played a crucial role in developing the “brain” of the satellite – the guidance, navigation, and control system (GNC). GMV provided an innovative image processing unit for Hera’s autonomous guidance system.

“Essentially, Hera’s eyes gather information about the satellite’s position in space, and the technology we developed in Romania interprets this data, allowing the mission to stay on the correct course towards its final destination,” said Cristian Chițu, Space Director at GMV Romania.

Hera’s journey to the asteroid will take more than two years, with the landscape changing several times along the way, meaning the mission’s navigation methods will also need to adapt during the voyage.

At first, the asteroid will be so distant that it will appear as a single pixel in the mission’s camera, gradually turning into a cluster of pixels. In this phase, the GNC system will focus on keeping the asteroid within the camera’s field of view to ensure the mission remains aimed at that point.

As Hera gets closer to the asteroid, the guidance system will have to account for additional factors, continuously calculating where the asteroid’s center is and how it is moving.

When the mission reaches its target, the asteroid will fill the entire image, prompting a shift to a different type of navigation that relies on identifying landmarks on the asteroid, such as boulders, craters, or ridges, to determine the mission’s position relative to the asteroid.\

ESA’s First Deep Space CubeSat, Also Built in Romania

In addition to its role in planetary defense, Hera will demonstrate new deep space technologies, such as autonomous navigation based on optical image processing and inter-satellite communication. The mission is equipped with two CubeSats for this purpose.

One of them, the Juventas CubeSat, will use the same Romanian-made guidance and navigation technology as Hera, and moreover, one-third of Juventas was built in Romania. “The GMV team in Romania was responsible for defining the mission, selecting the operational orbits, and planning the mission step by step, from launch on Hera to landing on the asteroid,” said Cristian Chițu, Space Director at GMV Romania.

Romania’s Involvement on Multiple Levels

These are not the only contributions Romania has made to the Hera mission. HPS contributed to the high-gain antenna. The National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics – INOE 2000 designed the mission’s altimeter; ATOS Romania developed the equipment used to test the data management system, including the onboard computer of the mission; and Efacec Romania participated in managing the procurement process and acquiring the components essential for the project’s success.

Additionally, a Romanian innovation by the GMV team allowed for faster onboard satellite computing, required for the complex image processing algorithms. Hera will be the first European mission to test this system, onboard as a payload. The system was entirely developed, tested, and flight-qualified by GMV Romania along with partners.

Romania Working Hand-in-Hand with Other European Countries

“Space is one of the areas where our country has developed internal capabilities to contribute to space missions, working side by side with other European countries,” stated Cristian Chițu. “Romania’s research and development efforts are currently as highly regarded as those in other European countries. This helps us continue to develop a specialized workforce in Romania, attract funding, and develop innovative technologies that can be transferred to other sectors.”

Developed for Space, Applied on Earth

The Hera mission takes place in space, but some of its benefits will be felt back home in Romania. Currently, only four other countries have developed this type of image processing component for space: Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and Greece. This technology will help Romania contribute to future space missions, such as lunar missions, Mars missions, and space debris removal.

Additionally, this technology can be useful in other industries, such as the automotive sector, improving the performance of autopilot systems or robots working in warehouses, on assembly lines, or in hard-to-reach areas like mines or radiation zones.