ESA’s Hera spacecraft starts close inspections of asteroid Dimorphos
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera mission has begun close inspections of the asteroid Dimorphos, studying how its course changed after NASA’s 2022 mission to crash a spacecraft into it, as part of work on planetary-defence solutions (Euronews, 12 Nov). NASA’s impact was a single event, so the evidence that it moved the asteroid, and how it did so, comes from this European follow-up, which means Europe supplies the part that makes the experiment usable as a method. Whether deflection works as a repeatable tool therefore depends on post-impact data, not on the impact itself. The strongest counter is that a damaging asteroid strike is very unlikely, so the money may be better spent on nearer threats, and the Euronews report gives no cost figure.
French pension arithmetic: perception versus reality
A survey quoted by the Marginal Revolution blog on 12 Nov found that the average French person believes there are 6.4 workers for every retiree, while the real figure is about 1.8. The original source is not named in the link, so the numbers are a quoted claim rather than confirmed data. If accurate, the gap would mean many French people think the pension system is far better funded than it is.
Finland tightens entry for Russian athletes
Finland will make it harder for Russian athletes to enter the country until the end of the Ukraine war, and the new visa rules also apply to athletes with neutral status (ZDF, 12 Nov).
German care reform to be patched
Germany’s Health Minister Carsten Linnemann announced improvements to the care (Pflege) reform in a ZDF interview on 12 Nov, calling it more of a “first-aid law”.
Separately from these, Politico Europe reports that Donald Trump, who snubbed the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, still dominates delegates’ conversation, from the Iran war to planning for life without him, with no new policy outcome yet.
Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.
