Hera asteroid probe completes engine burns and heads for Mars flyby

Europe's Hera asteroid probe has successfully completed two engine burns, increasing its speed and setting it on course for a Mars flyby in March 2025. The spacecraft will use Mars' gravity to accelerate towards its destination. Hera aims to study the Didymos binary asteroid system, following NASA's DART mission, which impacted Dimorphos in September 2022. The probe will conduct investigations to assess the effectiveness of the asteroid deflection. During its flyby, Hera will also gather data on Mars' moon Deimos. The spacecraft launched on October 7 and is expected to reach the Didymos system in late 2026.