Team

The Hera science team is based on working groups per mission topic, which is different from the model adopted for large ESA planetary missions, where the Project Scientist is supported by Science Working Teams consisting mostly of instrument Principal Investigators (PIs).   

Through this structure, the Mission PI is the primary interface to ESA and advises the ESA Hera Project Scientist and the Hera Mission Manager. The Mission PI is invited to the ESA subordinate bodies of the ESA Council, as required and according to the respective rules and regulations governing such meetings. 

Team Leaders

Hera Science Team

The Hera Science Team includes the ESA Project Scientist and the mission PI, who, together with the Advisory Board, compose the Science Management Board (SMB). It also includes the Investigation Team, which is composed of the Mission PI, the Advisory Board, the Working Group Chairs and some instrument representatives. There are also instrument PIs who are responsible for decisions about delivery and safe operation of their instrument, and an Science Operation Working Group with a Chair appointed by ESA for the operational aspects of the mission. And finally, It includes all Hera Working Group members.

SCIENCE MANAGEMENT BOARD

HERA INVESTIGATION TEAM

Mission PI

Dr. Patrick Michel Univ. Côte d’Azur|Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab. Nice, France

Management Board Members

Pr. Alan Fitzsimmons Queen's University of Belfast, United Kingdom

Pr. Simon F. Green The Open University, United Kingdom

Pr. Monica Lazzarin Padova University, Italy

Dr. Stephan Ulamec DLR, Germany

Dr. Paul AbellNASA, USA

Pr. Seiji Sugita University of Tokyo, Japan

Working group chairs & instrument PI

Pr. Adriano Campo Bagatin Univ. Alicante, Spain

Dr. Benoît Carry Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab, France

Pr. Sébastien Charnoz IPGP, France

Dr. Julia de Leon lnstituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Spain

Dr. Fabio Ferrari Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Pr. Paulo Gordo Univ. Lisbon, Portugal

Dr. Alain Hérique lPAG, France

Dr. Martin Jutzi University of Bern, Switzerland

Dr. Ozgur Karatekin ROB, Belgium

Dr. Tomas Kohout Univ. Helsinki, Finland

Dr. Naomi Murdoch lSAE-Supaero, France

Pr. Tatsuaki Okada ISAS/JAXA, Japan

Dr. Petr Pravec Ondrejov Observatory, Czech Republic

Dr. Sabina Raducan University of Bern, Switzerland

Dr. Colin Snodgrass University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Pr. Paolo Tortora Univ. Bologna, ltaly

Pr. Kleomenis Tsiganis University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Dr. Jean-Baptiste Vincent DLR, Germany

Dr. Kai Wünnemann Berlin Museum für Naturkunde, Germany

Hera International Team Members

Dr. Olivier S. Barnouin APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Nancy Chabot APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Andy Cheng APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Carolyn Ernst APL/JHU, USA

Pr. Derek C. Richardson Univ. Maryland, USA

Dr. Andy Rivkin APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Angela Stickle APL/JHU, USA

Dr. Cristina Thomas Northern Arizona University, USA

Dr. Elisabetta Dotto INAF, Italy

Pr. Masahiko Arakawa Univ. Kobe, Japan

Pr. Hirdy Miyamoto Univ. Tokyo, Japan

Pr. Akiko Nakamura Univ. Kobe, Japan

Pr. Seiji Sugita Univ. Tokyo, Japan

Pr. Makoto Yoshikawa ISAS/JAXA, Japan

Dr. Paul Abell NASA, USA

Pr. Erik Asphaug Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. Ronald-Louis Ballouz Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. William F. Bottke Jr. SWRI, USA

Pr. Dante S. Lauretta Univ. Arizona, USA

Dr. Kevin J. Walsh SWRI, USA

HONORARY MISSION ADVISOR

Dr. Sir Brian May (Queen guitarist and astrophysicist) is Hera Honorary Mission Advisor. In addition to supporting and highly contributing to mission related public outreach activities and videos presenting the mission, he is also offering a great contribution to the science activities and preparation of the mission. In particular, he is performing stereoscopic image pairs and movies of the numerical modeling of Didymos’ evolution developed by Hera team members, allowing us to visualize and therefore to better understand the predicted behavior and properties of the asteroid in three dimensions. He is also providing advice for the imaging strategy of the binary system by Hera, so that stereoscopic pairs can be produced from images taken at different and well chosen phases, allowing a vision of the real asteroid in 3D. Such a vision does not only allow us to appreciate the beauty of these small worlds, but also to discover and study their incredible geological complexity. Stereoscopic pairs by Dr. May and his collaborator Claudia Manzoni have demonstrated their extraordinary power and usefulness in past missions, such as OSIRIS-REx (NASA) and Hayabusa2 (JAXA). 

Dr. May is already co-author of a two peer-reviewed articles by Hera team members, which were reported in several medias and ESA press releases:

_ Michel, P., Ballouz, R.-L., Barnouin, O.S., Jutzi, M., Walsh, K.J., May, B.H., Manzoni, C., Richardson, D.C., Schwartz, S.R., Sugita, S., Watanabe, S., Miyamoto, H., Hirabayashi, M., Bottke, W.F., Connolly Jr., H.C., Yoshikawa, M., Lauretta, D.S. 2020. Collisional formation of top-shaped asteroids and implications for the origins of Ryugu and Bennu. Nature Communications 11, 2665, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16433-z

ESA Press Release (click here) 

_ Zhang, Y., Michel, P., Richardson, D.C., Barnouin, O.S., Agrusa, H.F., Tsiganis, K., Manzoni, C., May, B.H. 2021. Creep stability of the DART/Hera mission target 65803 Didymos: II. The role of cohesion. Icarus 362, 114433, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114433

ESA Press Release (click here)

NASA PARTICIPATING SCIENTISTS

• Bonnie Buratti – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Southern California

• Ingrid Daubar – Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

• Carolyn Ernst – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

• Dawn Graninger – Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

• Mark Haynes – NASA JPL

• Masatoshi Hirabayashi – Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

• Tim Lister – Las Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California

• Ryan Park – NASA JPL

• Andrew Rivkin – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

• Daniel Scheeres – University of Colorado, Boulder

• Timothy Titus – U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona 

• Yun Zhang – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

  Get to know more about it on:

  https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/nasa-selects-participating-scientists-to-join-esas-hera-mission/

Working Groups

Group 1 - Impact Modeling

Group 2 - Ground Based Observations

Group 3 - Dynamics

Group 4 - Data analysis, exploitation, interpretation

IMPACT MODELING

Chairs

Jutzi Martin Univ. Bern, Switzerland

Wünnemann Kai Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin / FU Berlin, Germany

Raducan Sabina Univ. Bern, Switzerland

CORE MEMBERS

Arakawa Masahiko Kobe University, Japan

Burger Christoph Univ. Tübigen, Germany

CollinsGareth Imperial College London, UK

DavisonThomas Imperial College London, UK

GueldemeisterNicole Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany

LutherRobert Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany

Martellato Elena Uni Parthenope, Rome, Italy

Michel PatrickUniv. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, France

OrmoeJens CAB INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Park Ryan JPL, USA

SchäferChristoph Univ. Tübingen, Germany

Zhang YunUniversity of Michigan, USA/Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France

Extended Members

Baziotis Ioannis Agricultural University of Athens, Greece

Berk Cem ROB, Belgium

Bjonnes Evan LLNL, USA

Boustie Michel CNRS/Simchoc, France

Boyer Severine Paris Tech, France

Burchell Mark Univ. Kent, UK

Cheng AndyJHU/APL, USA

Chocron Sidney SWRI, USA

Cintala Mark NASA, USA

ClineChristopher NASA, USA

Deller Jakob Max Planck Inst. For Solar System Research, Germany

DehsapriyaPrasanna INAF, Italy

Durda Dan SWRI, USA

Farnham Tony JHU/APL

Ferri Francesca Univ. Padova, Italy

Graninger Dawn JHU/APL, USA

Gucsik ArnoldUniversity of Debrecen, Hungaria

Gulde Max EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Hebert David CEA, France

HerrerosIsabel CAB INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain

Ivanovski Stavro INAF - Astronomical observatory of Padova, Italy

Jodar BenjaminCEA, France

Kenkmann Thomas Univ. Freiburg, Switzerland

KoschnyDetlef Univ. Münich, Germany

KumamotoKatie LLNL, USA

Kurosawa Kosuke Univ. Kobe, Japan

LavagnaMichelle Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Lolachi Ramin Univ. Maryland, USA

Lucchetti AliceAstronomical Obs. Padova, Italy

MaindlThomas Univ. Vienna, Austria

Malmud Uri University Tel Aviv, Israël

Marchi Simone SWRI, USA

Murdoch Naomi SUPAERO, Univ. de Toulouse, France

Nakamura Akiko Kobe University, Japan

NeumannWladimir DLR Institute for Planetary Research Berlin, Germany

Owen Mike LLNL, USA

ParisiM. Gabriela FCAGLP & CONICET, Argentina

Pösgesn Gisela Geopark Ries e. V., Germany

Price Mark Univ. Kent, UK

RameshKT JHU, USA

SanchezPaul Univ. Colorada, USA

SauerMartin EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Schäfer Frank EMI Fraunhofer, Germany

StickleAngela JHU/APL, USA

SugitaSeiji Univ. Tokyo, Japan

SunshineJessica Univ. Maryland, USA

SyalMegan LLNL, USA

TancrediGonzalo Univ. Montevideo, Uruguay

TsiganisMenios Aristotle Univ. Thessalonica Greece

VerasDimitri U Warwick, Poland

VincentJean-Baptiste DLR Institute for Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

WalkerJames SWRI, USA

Zhu Menghua

GROUND BASED OBSERVATIONS

Chairs

Pravec Petr Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Czech Republic

Carry Benoît Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

de Leon Julia Inst. Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Snodgrass Colin Univ. Edinburgh, UK

Core Team 

Berthier Jérôme Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Birlan Mirel Observatoire de Meudon, France

Fitzsimmons Alan Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

Frattin Elisa Astronomical Obs. Padova, Italy

GreenSimon Open University, UK

Kokotanekova Rosita ESO, Chile

LaForgiaFiorangela Univ. Padova, Italy

Lazzarin Monica Univ. Padova, Italy

Knight MatthewUnited States Naval Academy

Migliorini Alessandra IAPS/INAF, Italy

Park Ryan JPL, USA

PopescuMarcel IAC, Spain

Santana-Ros Toni Universidad de Alicante, Spain

Scheirich Petr Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Czech Republic

SouamiDamya Obs. Paris Meudon, France

Extended Team

Balossi Roberto UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Bertini Ivano Univ. Padova, Italy

Campo-Bagatín Adriano Univ. Alicante, Spain

Colombo Camilla Politecnico Milano, Italy

DesmarsJosselin Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Fatka Petr Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Czech Republic

GedekMarcin 6 Roads, Poland

Hestroffer Daniel Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Ieva SimoneINAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma

KierszDominik Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

Kohout Tomas Univ. Helsinki, Finland

LicandroJavier IAC, Spain

Lowry Stephen Univ. Kent, UK

Minker Kate UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Moreno Fernando Inst. Astrofísica Andalucia, Spain

Näsilä Antti VTT, Finland

Palomba Ernesto IAPS INAF, Italy

Penttilä Antti Univ. Helsinki, Finland

RambauxNicolas Paris Observartory, France

Robinson Jamie Queens Univ. Belfast, UK

RossiAlessandro Instituto di Fisica Applicata Nello Carrara, Italy

Tanga Paolo Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

ThomasCristina Planetary Science Institute, USA

ThuillotWilliam Paris Observatory/IMCCE, Paris

Tsiganis Menios Univ. Thessaloniki, Greece

TubianaCecilia MPS, Germany

Vincent Jean-Baptiste DLR Institute for Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

Voyatzis George Univ. Thessaloniki, Greece

Michal Zolnowski 6 Roads, Poland

DYNAMICS

Chairs

Campo-Bagatin Adriano U Alicante, Spain

TsiganisKleomenis AUTh, Greece

Charnoz Sébastien IPGP, France

Core Members

Agrusa Harrison Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Lagrange Lab., France

Benavidez Paula U Alicante (Spain)

Ferrari Fabio PoliMi (Italy) - JPL

Gkolias Ioannis AUTh (Greece)

Gil-FernandezJesus ESA

Hirabayashi Masatoshi Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Karatekin Ozgur ROB (Belgium)

Marzari Francesco U Padova (Italy)

Park Ryan JPL, USA

PouLaurent UC Santa-Cruz (USA)

Rambaux Nicolas IMCCE (France)

Richardson Derek UMD (USA)

Rossi Alessandro IFAC-INAF (Italy)

Soldini Stefania U Liverpool (UK)

Voyatzis George AUTh (Greece)

Yu Yang U Beihang (CN)

Zannoni Marco UBologna (Italy)

Zhang Yun U Michigan (USA)

Extended Members

Amarante Andre UNESP, Brazil

Andert TomUniv. der Bundeswehr, Germany

Azema Emilien Univ. Montpellier, France

Balossi Roberto UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

Banaszkiewicz MarekCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Baresi Nicolas Univ. Surrey, UK

Bigot JeanneISAE-Supaero, France

Biele Jens DLR, Germany

Chatenet Camille UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

ChengAndy JHU/APL, USA

Chesley Steve JPL, USA

ColomboCamilla PoliMi, Italy

Cueva Rachel Univ. Colorado, USA

DeMartini Joe Univ. Maryland, USA

Drube Line DTU, Danemark

Efthymiopoulos ChristosU Padova (Italy)

EgglSiegfried Univ. Illinois, USA

Fahnestock Gene JPL, USA

Farnham Tony Univ. Maryland, USA

FengJianglang Univ. of Strathclyde, UK

FiliceValerio OMA, Belgium

Fodde Iosto Univ. of Strathclyde, UK

Fu Xiaoyu Univ. Liverpool, UK

Gabryszewski RyszardCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Gonzalez GracielaUniv. der Bundeswehr, Germany

GraningerDawn JHU/APL, USA

GriegerBjoern ESA, ESAC, Spain

Hestroffer DanielIMCCE, France

Ivanoski Stavro INAF, Italy

Jacobson Seth Michigan State Univ., USA

KarthickChrisphin Indian Inst. of Astrophysics, India

Kohout TomasUniv. Helsinki, Finland

Krolikowska MalgorzataCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Krzysztof Langner

Lasagni Riccardo Univ. Bologna, Italy

LavagnaMichelle PoliMi, Italy

Li Jianyang

Liu Po-Yen Univ. Alicante, Spain

Lolachi Ramin Univ. Maryland, NASA Goddard, USA

Madeira Gustavo IPGP, Paris

Makadia Rahil Univ. Illinois, USA

de Marco GretaESA/ESOC, Germany

McMahon Jay Univ. Colorado, USA

MerrillColby Univ. Cornell, USA

MorenoFernando Inst. Astrofísica de Andalucia, Spain

Murdoch NaomiISAE/Supaéro, France

Nakano Ryota Georgia Institute of Technology

Naidu ShantanuJPL, USA

Nastula JolantaCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Pajola Maurizio INAF, Italy

Paro Laura Univ. Alicante, Spain

Perez Molina Manuel Univ. Alicante, Spain

Pravec PetrAcademy of Sciences, Czech Republic

Renouf Mathieu Univ. Montpellier, France

Roth Nataniel NASA, USA

SanchezPaul Univ. Colorado, USA

Sauer MartinEMI Fraunhofer, Germany

Sert Hakan OMA, Belgium

Scheirich PetrAcademy of Sciences, Czech Republic

SouamiDamya Obs. Paris, France

Szutowicz SlawomiraCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

TancrediGonzalo Univ. Uruguay, Uruguay

TangaPaolo UCA, OCA, CNRS, France

TasevElisa ROB, Belgium

TopputoFrancesco PoliMi, Italy

TortoraPaolo U Bologna, Italy

Vasile MassimilianoUniv. of Strathclyde, UK

Veras DimitriWarwick University, Poland

Villegas-Pinto DanielIMCCE, France

Vincent Jean-Baptiste DLR, Germany

Wajer PawelCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Wawrzaszek RomanCenter for Space Research, Warsaw, Poland

Wimarsson John Univ. Bern, Switzerland

Zhou Wenhan Univ. Côte d’Azur, Obs. Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Lagrange, Nice

Ziegler TobiasAirbus Defense&Space, Germany

DATA ANALYSIS, EXPLOITATION, INTERPRETATION

Chairs

Herique Alain

Karatekin Ozgur

Murdoch Naomi

Tortora Paolo

Vincent Jean-Baptiste

Core Members

Barnouin Olivier

Bertini Ivano

de Leon Julia

Le Maistre Sébastien

Lucchetti Alice

Okada Tatsuaki

Pajola Maurizio

Palomba Ernesto

Park Ryan S.

Popescu Marcel

Preusker Frank

Tommei Giacomo

Zannoni Marco

Extended Members

Abell Paul

Agnan Marco

Agrusa Harrison

Agostinho Rui

Al Mazmi Hoor

Al Saeed Noora

Angrisani Marianna

Andert Tom

Arredondo-guerrero Anicia

Avdellidou Chrysa

Baresi Nicola

Baziotis Ioannis

Beccarelli Joel

Bertini Ivano

Bigot Jeanne

Biele Jens

Blommaert Joris

Brucato John Robert

Caballo-Perucha Piluca

Caldiero Alfonso

Cambioni Saviero

Campo Bagatin Adriano

Çelik O. (Onur)

Cheng Andy

Chabot Nancy

Ciarletti Valérie

Cremasco Alessia

Cruz Eduardo

Daglis Ioannis

Daly Terik

Damme Friedriech

Dehant Véronique

Deller Jakob

Delsanti Audrey

DeMartini Joe

Deshapryia Prasanna

Dirri Fabrizio

Dotto Elisabetta

Drilleau Mélanie

Drub Line

Duchene Alexia

Eggl Siegfried

El Maarry Mohamed

Eyraud Christelle

Fanara Lida

Farnham Tony

Fernandez Mario

Ferpa Mario

Ferrari Fabio

Fodde Iosto

Gábor Kovács

Garcia Raphael

Gassot Oriane

di Girolamo Gianpiero

Gisellu Chiara

Gloesener Elodie

Goderis Steven

Goldberg Hannah

Gordo Paulo

Gramigna Edoardo

Green Simon

Grieger Björn

Grott Matthias

Groussin Olivier

Guettler Carsten

Hamm Maximilian

Hasselmann Pedro

Henry Grégoire

Hermsdorf Maximilian

Hestroffer Daniel

Ieva Simone

Irizos Javier

Jackson Samuel

Josset Jean-Luc

Kanamaru Masanori

Karthick Chrisphin

Kašpárek Tomáš

Kereszturi Akos

Kofman Wlodek

Kohout Tomas

Kramer Ruggiu Lisa

Krohn Katrin

La Forgia Fiorangela

Lasagni Riccardo

Lavagna Michelle

Lazzarin Monica

Le Bras Etienne

Li Jian-Yang

Licandro Javier

Lin Zhong-Yi

Longobardo Andrea

Marchi Simone

Massa Giuseppe

Matonti Christophe

McMahon Jay

Migliorini Alessandra

Mochi Maddalena

Mueller Thomas

Nasila Antti

Nathues Andreas

Noeker Matthias

Oberst Jürgen

Otto Katharina

Paar Gerhard

Palamakumbure Iakishka

Paoli Roberto

Parro Laura M.

Parisi Gabriele

Penasa Luca

Panicucci Paolo

Penttilä Antti

Plettemeier Dirk

Poggiali Giovanni

Popescu Marcel

Pou Laurent

Preusker Frank

Ritter Birgit

Rizos Juan Luis

Rogez Yves

Rozitis Ben

Sanchez Paul

Scheeres Dan

Schwartz Stephen

Segret Boris

Sierks Olger

Stark Alexander

Stephan Katrin

Sugita Seiji

Sunday Cecily

Sunshine Jessica

Sykioti Olga

Tasev Elisa

Titus Timothy

Topputo Francesco

Traxler Christoph

Trigo-Rodríguez Josep M.

Tubiana Cecilia

Tusberti Filippo

Ulamec Stephan

Van Waal Stefan

Vasconcelos Ivan

Vince Nagy Balázs

Wahlund Jan-Erik

Walsh Kevin

Wolfmayr Monika

Yumoto Koki

Zine Sonia

Zou Xiao-Duan

Chairs

Küppers Michael ESA/ESAC, Spain

Mission PI, Science Management Board, Working Group 4 Chairs and members, Instrument PIs

AFC

Jean-BaptisteVincent DLR, Germany

TIRI

Tatsu Okada JAXA, Spain

HyperScout

Julia de Leon IAC, Spain

PALT

Paulo Gordo FCUL, Portugal

JuRa

Alain Hérique IPAG, France

GRASS

Ozgur Karatekin ROB, Belgium

ASPECT

Tomas Kohout Univ. Helsinki, Finland

VISTA

Ernesto Palomba INAF, Rome, Italy

Radio Science

Paolo Tortora Univ. Bologna, Italy