Planetary Defence - Astronomy and Space Missions at the Service of Humanity

Explore the critical field of planetary defence through this comprehensive webinar featuring leading experts from the European Space Agency. Learn about the detection and tracking of near-Earth objects that pose potential impact threats to our planet, and discover how modern astronomy and space missions work together to protect humanity from asteroidal collisions. Gain insights into the activities of ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC) through a detailed presentation by Richard Moissl, the agency's Planetary Defence Officer, who explains current monitoring systems and threat assessment protocols. Delve into the groundbreaking Hera mission with Principal Investigator Patrick Michel, a renowned planetary scientist who discusses how this spacecraft will explore the Didymos binary asteroid system as part of the international Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) collaboration. Understand the scientific and technical challenges involved in asteroid deflection strategies, the importance of characterizing potentially hazardous objects, and how space agencies coordinate global planetary defence efforts. The session includes an interactive Q&A segment addressing audience questions about asteroid detection technologies, mission planning, and the future of planetary protection initiatives.