ESA's Hera Mission Begins Key Braking Maneuver for Asteroid System Approach

The European Space Agency's Hera mission has initiated its first sustained braking maneuver (BRM-1), a 93-minute thruster burn. This critical operation aims to reduce Hera's velocity relative to the Didymos asteroid system. The maneuver is essential for the spacecraft to eventually match the asteroids' speed, enabling a detailed investigation of Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA's DART mission in 2022.