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BepiColombo Survived a Glitchy 8-Year Trip to Mercury. Now Comes the Hard Part
Gizmodo • • science
Key Points:
- After traveling together for eight years, the BepiColombo twin orbiters will separate upon arriving at Mercury, marking a critical phase in the joint ESA and JAXA mission.
- The spacecraft’s arrival and separation sequence will be broadcast live on ESA’s YouTube Channel on September 3 at 6:45 a.m. ET.
- Originally scheduled for December 2025, the mission was delayed due to a glitch that limited the spacecraft’s power, forcing a different trajectory to Mercury.
- The Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will separate first, allowing the two science orbiters—the Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetosphere Orbiter (MMO)—to enter their respective orbits around Mercury.
- BepiColombo is only the third mission to visit Mercury, overcoming significant challenges posed by the Sun’s gravitational pull, and has already provided valuable data and images since its first flyby in 2021.
