ESA · Space

ESA's Hera Mission Begins Crucial Braking Maneuvers for Asteroid Rendezvous

The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft, launched two years ago, is now initiating complex braking maneuvers to slow down and approach the Didymos binary asteroids.

Launched on October 7, 2026, Hera has been traveling through space, with its trajectory adjusted by a Mars flyby in spring 2025. Currently traveling at over 12 kilometers per second relative to Earth, the spacecraft is closing in on the Didymos asteroid system.

To match the velocity of its targets, Hera will perform a 93-minute burn using its Orbit Control Thrusters on October 15. This maneuver, known as BRM-1, will reduce Hera's velocity by several hundred meters per second, requiring precise attitude control from its Reaction Control Thrusters.

ESA's Flight Dynamics team will monitor the burn's success by analyzing telemetry and signal data from Hera via deep space antennas in Australia. They will assess if the braking matches the anticipated change in velocity.

A second, shorter braking maneuver (BRM-2) is scheduled for October 22. This approximately 31-minute burn aims to complete the necessary velocity matching and compensate for any deviations from BRM-1.

Following these main maneuvers, three smaller 'transition' maneuvers will occur by the end of the month to reduce Hera's relative velocity with Didymos to near zero.

Hera's primary objective is to investigate the asteroid Dimorphos, which was intentionally impacted by NASA's DART spacecraft in 2022. Hera will study the asteroid's response to the impact, providing crucial data for planetary defense.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.