ESA Hera mission arrives at Didymos and prepares for braking manoeuvres

Two years after its launch, the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft has arrived at the binary asteroid system composed of Didymos and Dimorphos. The car-sized probe is now beginning sustained braking manoeuvres to slow down and match speed with the target pair.

Hera is accompanied by two CubeSats named Milani and Juventas. Milani will analyze the composition of the asteroids while Juventas uses radar to probe their internal structure, supporting investigations into planetary defence techniques.