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BepiColombo sheds its ride and starts the final glide to Mercury
The Register • • general
Key Points:
- ESA and JAXA's BepiColombo spacecraft is nearing Mercury after nearly eight years, beginning its arrival sequence by jettisoning the Mercury Transfer Module on September 3.
- The spacecraft is set to enter Mercury's orbit on November 21, with the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) releasing between December 9-10, followed by the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) moving to its final orbit and starting science operations in April 2027.
- The mission's arrival is delayed by a year due to issues with the Solar Electric Power system, extending the cruise phase beyond the original December 2025 target.
- BepiColombo has conducted six Mercury flybys since 2021 and flybys of Venus and Earth since its 2018 launch, showcasing strong international collaboration with ESA providing the MPO and MTM, and JAXA supplying the MMO.
- The mission aims to study Mercury's magnetosphere, core, and magnetic field over an initial Earth year, with a possible extension, advancing understanding of the planet's interaction with the solar wind and internal structure.
