ESA’s Hera mission begins critical braking phase at Didymos asteroid system

Two items this week focus on ESA’s Hera mission reaching the Didymos–Dimorphos double asteroid system. The first details the upcoming 93-minute braking maneuver on Oct. 15 and a shorter burn on Oct. 22 to reduce velocity by hundreds of meters per second, while the second announces the spacecraft’s arrival with its CubeSats and highlights an educational video. This marks a key milestone in the first mission to study a Solar System object whose orbit was shifted by human action, advancing planetary defense and asteroid science.