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Wikipedia

BepiColombo

BepiColombo
Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter
The BepiColombo spacecraft stack on 5 July 2017. From bottom to top: MTM, MPO, and Mio. Solar arrays are stowed, and MOSIF is not shown.
Mission typePlanetary science
Operator
COSPAR ID2018-080A
SATCAT no.43653
Websitescience.esa.int/bepicolombo
Mission durationCruise: 7 years, 2 month, 18 days (planned) 8 years, 1 month, 1 day (actual)
Science phase: 1 year (planned)
7 years, 11 months and 19 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer
Launch mass4,100 kg (9,000 lb) [1]
BOL massMPO: 1,230 kg (2,710 lb)
Mio: 255 kg (562 lb) [1]
Dry mass2,700 kg (6,000 lb) [1]
DimensionsMPO: 2.4 m × 2.2 m × 1.7 m (7 ft 10 in × 7 ft 3 in × 5 ft 7 in)
Mio: 1.8 m × 1.1 m (5 ft 11 in × 3 ft 7 in) [1]
PowerMPO: 150 watts
Mio: 90 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 October 2018, 01:45 UTC
RocketAriane 5 ECA (VA245)[2]
Launch siteCentre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3[3]
ContractorArianespace
Mercury orbiter
Spacecraft componentMercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)
Orbital insertion21 November 2026 (planned)[4]
Orbital parameters
Perihermion altitude480 km (300 mi)
Apohermion altitude1,500 km (930 mi)
Inclination90,0°
Mercury orbiter
Spacecraft componentMercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio/MMO)
Orbital insertion10 December 2026 (planned deployment from MPO)[4]
Orbital parameters
Perihermion altitude590 km (370 mi)
Apohermion altitude11,640 km (7,230 mi)
Inclination90.0°

ESA insignia (2020s)

BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two orbiters: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), built and operated by ESA, and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO), built and operated by JAXA. Together the satellites will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure.[5]

During the cruise phase to reach Mercury, the orbiters were in a stacked configuration with two additional components: the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which provided power and solar electric propulsion for the cruise, and the Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface (MOSIF), which protects Mio from the harsh solar radiation until it is deployed. MTM was jettisoned before orbit insertion at Mercury,[6] whereas MOSIF will be detached from MPO after the Japanese orbiter is deployed.

In 2017 the spacecraft's cost was estimated at €1.65 billion (US$1.86 billion).[7][8] It was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018, with Mercury orbit insertion planned for December 2025, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury.[2][1][9] In 2024, due to a power-related anomaly limiting the thrust levels on its solar electric propulsion system, Mercury arrival was delayed to November 2026.[10]

Overview

[edit]
Four components of the BepiColombo Mercury Composite Spacecraft (MCS)
BepiColombo in cruise configuration

The mission involves four components, including two orbiters which will separate into independent spacecraft upon arrival at Mercury:[11][12]

  • Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) providing chemical and solar electric propulsion, by ESA
  • Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), built by ESA
  • Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) or Mio, by JAXA
  • Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface (MOSIF) to protect Mio during cruise, by ESA

During the launch and cruise phases, these four components were joined to form the Mercury Composite Spacecraft (MCS)[12][13][14]

The stacked spacecraft took eight years to position itself to enter Mercury orbit. During this time it used solar electric propulsion and nine gravity assists, flying past the Earth and Moon in April 2020, Venus in 2020 and 2021, and six Mercury flybys between 2021 and 2025.[1][15]

Expected to arrive in Mercury orbit in November 2026, the Mio and MPO satellites will separate and observe Mercury in collaboration for one year, with a possible one-year extension.[1] Although originally expected to enter orbit in December 2025, thruster issues discovered in September 2024 before the fourth Mercury flyby resulted in a delayed arrival of November 2026.[16]

ESA is responsible for the overall mission, the design, development assembly and test of the propulsion and MPO modules, and the launch. The two orbiters are operated by mission controllers based in Darmstadt, Germany.[17] The spacecraft operations manager of BepiColombo was Elsa Montagnon until 2021,[18][failed verification] and is now Ignacio Clerigo.[19] ESA's Cebreros, Spain 35-metre (115 ft) ground station is the primary ground facility for communications during all mission phases.[20]

Naming

[edit]

BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (1920–1984), a scientist, mathematician, and engineer at the University of Padua, Italy, who first proposed the interplanetary gravity assist manoeuvre used by the 1974 Mariner 10 mission, a technique now used frequently by planetary probes.[21]

Mio, the name of the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, was selected from thousands of suggestions by the Japanese public. In Japanese, Mio means a waterway, and according to JAXA, it symbolizes the research and development milestones reached thus far, and wishes for safe travel ahead. JAXA said the spacecraft will travel through the solar wind just like a ship traveling through the ocean.[22] In Chinese and Japanese, Mercury is known as the "water star" (水星) according to wǔxíng.[23][24]

Scientific objectives

[edit]

The main objectives of the mission are:[3][25]

Mercury is too small and hot for its gravity to retain any significant atmosphere over long periods of time, but it has a tenuous surface-bounded exosphere[28] containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and other trace elements. Its exosphere is not stable as atoms are continuously lost and replenished from a variety of sources. The mission will study the exosphere composition and dynamics, including generation and escape.[29]

The orbiters are equipped with scientific instruments provided by various European countries and Japan. The mission is designed to characterize the solid and liquid iron core (3⁄4 of the planet's radius) and determine the size of each as well as to perform gravitational and magnetic field mappings.[29] Russia provided the gamma ray and neutron spectrometer (MGNS) to test the presence of water ice in polar craters that are permanently in shadow from the Sun's rays.[30][31]

Launch and operations

[edit]
BepiColombo, imaged at Northolt Branch Observatories, 16 hours after the Earth flyby. The bright satellite passing by is INSAT-2D.
Venus during the 15 October 2020 flyby
Mercury on 23 June 2022 during the 2nd gravity assist at the planet

Before launch

[edit]

The BepiColombo mission proposal was selected by ESA in 2000. A request for proposals for the science payload was issued in 2004.[32] In 2007, Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) was selected as the prime contractor,[33] and Ariane 5 chosen as the launch vehicle.[32] The mission was approved in November 2009, after years in proposal and planning as part of the European Space Agency's Horizon 2000+ programme.[34] The initial target launch of July 2014 was postponed several times, mostly because of delays on the development of the solar electric propulsion system.[32] BepiColombo is the last mission of the programme to be launched.[35]

Launch

[edit]

The two orbiters were successfully launched together on 20 October 2018.[17] The launch took place on Ariane flight VA245 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.[36]

Gravity assist maneuvers

[edit]
Mercury on 5 September 2024 during the 4th gravity assist at the planet
Mercury in mid-infrared light, 1 December 2024
Mercury's north pole on 8 January 2025 during the 6th and final gravity assist at the planet

The stacked spacecraft left Earth with a hyperbolic excess velocity of 3.475 km/s (2.159 mi/s). Initially, the craft was placed in a heliocentric orbit similar to that of Earth. After both the spacecraft and Earth completed one and a half orbits, it returned to Earth to perform a gravity-assist maneuver and was deflected towards Venus.[37]

Following its Earth flyby in April 2020, BepiColombo was briefly mistaken for a near-Earth asteroid, receiving the provisional designation 2020 GL2.[38][39][40][41]

Two consecutive Venus flybys reduced the perihelion near to the Sun–Mercury distance with almost no need for thrust. A sequence of six Mercury flybys lowered the relative velocity to 1.76 km/s (1.09 mi/s). After the fourth Mercury flyby in 2024, the spacecraft is in an orbit similar to that of Mercury and remains in the general vicinity of the planet.[42]

Science during Venus flybys

[edit]

After the potential biomarker phosphine was tentatively discovered in the Venusian atmosphere in September 2020, ESA scientists suggested that BepiColombo might be able to detect the compound during its two Venus flybys in 2020 and 2021. However, it was not clear if the spacecraft's instruments were sufficiently sensitive[43] and there has been no announcement of results. Since then, the claimed September 2020 detection has been disputed by follow-up studies.[44][45]

During the first Venus flyby in October 2020, seven science instruments and a radiation monitor onboard the Mercury Planetary Orbiter, and three instruments onboard Mio, were active and gathering data. The observations were coordinated with JAXA's Akatsuki, the only active spacecraft orbiting Venus at that time, as well as Earth-based observatories.[46][47]

The second Venus flyby in August 2021 happened only 33 hours after another interplanetary spacecraft by ESA, Solar Orbiter, completed its gravity assist at the same planet. Both spacecraft used their science instruments to study the magnetic, plasma, and particle environment around Venus during their flybys, offering unique multipoint datasets. The MPO's MERTIS instrument captured high resolution spectra of the Venus atmosphere and the Mercury Transfer Module's three monitoring cameras (M-CAM) captured a series of black-and-white images of the planet, documenting the various phases of the flyby.[48]

Science during Mercury flybys

[edit]

During the first Mercury flyby in October 2021, the spacecraft captured its first images of the target planet using the M-CAM monitoring cameras on the Mercury Transfer Module.[49][50] Some of the scientific instruments on both orbiters were also active during the flyby, exploring the magnetic and particle environment around Mercury and measuring the planet's gravity.[51]

During the second flyby in June 2022, the M-CAM cameras imaged, among other targets, the crater Heaney with a candidate volcano, an important target for the spacecraft's primary mission. This crater has been recently named after Seamus Heaney following a request from the M-CAM team. Some of the scientific instruments have been again active, measuring the magnetic, plasma, and particle environment around the spacecraft.[52]

During the third flyby in June 2023, the MPPE suite of instruments on Mio was used to map the magnetosphere of Mercury.[53] Based on these data, scientists described various expected features of the magnetosphere, but also made new discoveries: 1) a low latitude layer containing particles with much broader energy range than ever observed on Mercury, 2) energetic hydrogen ions trapped at low latitude and near the equator, and 3) cold plasma ions of oxygen and sodium, as well as signatures of potassium, which were probably ejected from the planet's surface by micrometeorites or the solar wind.[54][55] Mio's observations during this flyby also identified the chirping-like discrete whistler-mode emission waves previously observed in Earth's magnetosphere but so far unknown from Mercury.[56][57]

In May 2024, computers on BepiColombo (as well as on another ESA mission, Mars Express) reported a sharp increase in the number of memory errors, coinciding with a massive solar flare from the active region AR3664, at that time facing away from Earth. The event was also observed in detail by ESA's Solar Orbiter.[58]

During the fourth flyby in September 2024, the spacecraft had, for the first time, a clear view of Mercury's south pole. The M-CAM 2 and 3 cameras provided images of the polar region, as well as the Vivaldi crater and a crater newly named Stoddart after Margaret Olrog Stoddart following a request from the M-CAM team.[59] The altitude of the flyby (165 km) was even lower than the expected final science orbit of MPO and it coincided with elevated fluxes of high-energy charged solar particles. Scientists used this opportunity to study how these particles interacted with molecules on the surface, using the SIXS instrument.[60][61]

During the fifth flyby in December 2024, using the MERTIS instrument, BepiColombo became the first spacecraft ever to observe Mercury in mid-infrared light.[62] During the sixth and final Mercury flyby in January 2025, the M-CAM 1 camera imaged the permanently shadowed craters Prokofiev, Kandinsky, Tolkien, and Gordimer near the planet's north pole.[63]

Thruster issues

[edit]

On 15 May 2024, ESA reported an issue preventing the spacecraft's thrusters from operating at full power during a scheduled manoeuvre on 26 April 2024.[64] On 2 September 2024, ESA reported that to compensate for the reduced available thrust, a revised trajectory had been developed that would add 11 months to the cruise, delaying the expected arrival date from 5 December 2025 to November 2026.[65]

BepiColombo delivering "selfie style" footage via its Mercury Transfer Module

Arrival at Mercury

[edit]

On 15 June 2026 at 13:24 UTC, BepiColombo switched off its solar electric propulsion for the last time in preparation for the Mercury Arrival Phase starting in September.[15][66][67] Also in June, BepiColombo teams started a series of arrival simulations at ESOC.[67] On 3 September 2026, the Mercury Transfer Module successfully separated from the two orbiters, marking the beginning of the Mercury Arrival Phase.[6][68] On 15 September 2026, the MPO's multipurpose imaging instrument SIMBIO-SYS marked its first light, confirming that it is operating correctly.[69][70] On 24 September 2026, the remaining stack performed a 11.4 m/s trajectory correction, testing the MPO's propulsion system before the planned orbit insertion.[68][71]

The spacecraft will be weakly captured by Mercury's gravity in November 2026 into polar orbit. Only a small manoeuvre is needed to bring the craft into an orbit around Mercury with an apocentre of 178,000 kilometres (111,000 mi). The orbiters then separate and will adjust their orbits using chemical thrusters.[72][37]

Trajectory and timeline

[edit]

As of September 2026, the mission schedule is:[1]

Date Event Flyby altitude Comment
20 October 2018, 01:45 UTC Launch[17] – From Guyana Space Center on Ariane 5 flight VA254
10 April 2020, 04:25 UTC Earth flyby[41] 12,700 km (7,900 mi) 1.5 years after launch
15 October 2020, 03:58 UTC First Venus flyby[47] 10,720 km (6,660 mi)
10 August 2021, 13:52 UTC Second Venus flyby[73][74] 552 km (343 mi) 1.35 Venus years after first Venus flyby
1 October 2021, 23:35 UTC First Mercury flyby[75] 199 km (124 mi) Occurred on the 101st anniversary of Giuseppe Colombo’s birth
23 June 2022, 09:44 UTC Second Mercury flyby[52] 200 km (120 mi) ~2 orbits (3 Mercury years) after 1st Mercury flyby
19 June 2023, 19:34 UTC Third Mercury flyby[76][77] 236 km (147 mi) ~3 orbits (4.1 Mercury years) after 2nd Mercury flyby
4 September 2024, 21:48 UTC Fourth Mercury flyby[59] 165 km (103 mi) ~4 orbits (5.0 Mercury years) after 3rd Mercury flyby
1 December 2024, 14:23 UTC Fifth Mercury flyby[62] 37,626 km (23,380 mi) 1 orbit (1.0 Mercury year) after 4th Mercury flyby
8 January 2025, 05:59 UTC Sixth Mercury flyby[19][78] 295 km (183 mi) ~0.4 orbits (0.4 Mercury years) after 5th Mercury flyby
3 September 2026, 12:00 UTC MTM separation[15][79][68] – First Mercury arrival manoeuvre
21 November 2026 Mercury orbit insertion[4] – 7.8 Mercury years after 6th Mercury flyby; 60-hour orbital period
10 December 2026 MMO reaches science orbit, detaches from MPO[4] – 9.3-hour orbital period
Early 2027 MPO reaches science orbit – 2.36-hour orbital period
April 2028 End of nominal mission –
December 2029 End of planned extended mission –
Timeline of BepiColombo from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025. Red circle indicates flybys.
  • Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025    BepiColombo ·   Earth ·   Venus ·   Mercury ·   Sun For more detailed animation, see this video
    Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025
       BepiColombo ·   Earth ·   Venus ·   Mercury ·   Sun
    For more detailed animation, see this video
  • Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory around Mercury
    Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory around Mercury
  • Planned orbits for Mio and MPO, the two probes of the BepiColombo mission
    Planned orbits for Mio and MPO, the two probes of the BepiColombo mission

Spacecraft design and components

[edit]

Mercury Transfer Module

[edit]
QinetiQ T6 performance [80][81]
Type Kaufman ion engine
Units on board 4[82][83]
Diameter 22 cm (8.7 in)
Max. thrust 145 mN each
Specific impulse (Isp) 4300 seconds
Propellant Xenon
Total power 4628 W

The Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) has a mass of 2,615 kg (5,765 lb), including 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) of xenon propellant, and was located at the base of the stack. Its role was to carry the two science orbiters to Mercury and to support them during the cruise.

The MTM is equipped with a solar electric propulsion system as the main spacecraft propulsion. Its four QinetiQ-T6 ion thrusters operated singly or in pairs for a maximum combined thrust of 290 mN,[84] making it the most powerful ion engine array ever operated in space. The MTM supplied electrical power for the two stacked orbiters as well as for its solar electric propulsion system thanks to two 14-metre-long (46 ft) solar panels.[85] Depending on the probe's distance to the Sun, the generated power was expected to range between 7 and 14 kW, each T6 requiring between 2.5 and 4.5 kW according to the desired thrust level.[citation needed]

The solar electric propulsion system has typically very high specific impulse and low thrust. This leads to a flight profile with months-long continuous low-thrust braking phases, interrupted by planetary gravity assists, to gradually reduce the velocity of the spacecraft. Prior to Mercury orbit insertion, the MTM was jettisoned from the spacecraft stack.[68] After separation from the MTM, the MPO provides Mio all necessary power and data resources until Mio is delivered to its mission orbit.[85] Separation of Mio from MPO will be accomplished by spin-ejection.[86]

  • MTM in space simulator
    MTM in space simulator
  • MTM solar wing deployment
    MTM solar wing deployment
  • MTM at ESTEC
    MTM at ESTEC
  • MTM thruster detail
    MTM thruster detail

Mercury Planetary Orbiter

[edit]

The Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) has a mass of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) and uses a single-sided solar array capable of providing up to 1000 watts and featuring optical solar reflectors to keep its temperature below 200 °C (392 °F). The solar array requires continuous rotation keeping the Sun at a low incidence angle in order to generate adequate power while at the same time limiting the temperature.[85]

The MPO carries a payload of 11 instruments, comprising cameras, spectrometers (IR, UV, X-ray, γ-ray, neutron), a radiometer, a laser altimeter, a magnetometer, particle analysers, a Ka-band transponder, and an accelerometer. The payload components are mounted on the nadir side of the spacecraft to achieve low detector temperatures, apart from the MERTIS and PHEBUS spectrometers located directly at the main radiator to provide a better field of view.[85]

A high-temperature-resistant 1.0 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter high-gain antenna is mounted on a short boom on the zenith side of the spacecraft. Communications will be on the X-band and Ka-band with an average bit rate of 50 kbit/s and a total data volume of 1550 Gbit/year. ESA's Cebreros, Spain 35-metre (115 ft) ground station is planned to be the primary ground facility for communications during all mission phases.[85]

  • MPO being placed in Phenix thermal vacuum test facility
    MPO being placed in Phenix thermal vacuum test facility
  • Radio testing of MPO
    Radio testing of MPO
  • MPO radiator panel and instruments
    MPO radiator panel and instruments
  • MPO at ESTEC before stacking
    MPO at ESTEC before stacking

Science payload of MPO

[edit]
MPO's science instruments

The science payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter consists of eleven instruments:[87][88]

Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter)

[edit]

Mio, or the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), developed and built mostly by Japan, has the shape of a short octagonal prism, 180 cm (71 in) long from face to face and 90 cm (35 in) high.[3][94] It has a mass of 285 kg (628 lb), including a 45 kg (99 lb) scientific payload consisting of 5 instrument groups, 4 for plasma and dust measuring run by investigators from Japan, and one magnetometer from Austria.[3][95][96]

Mio will be spin stabilized at 15 rpm with the spin axis perpendicular to the equator of Mercury. It will enter a polar orbit at an altitude of 590 × 11,640 km (370 × 7,230 mi), outside of MPO's orbit.[95] The top and bottom of the octagon act as radiators with louvers for active temperature control. The sides are covered with solar cells which provide 90 watts. Communications with Earth will be through a 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) diameter X-band phased array high-gain antenna and two medium-gain antennas operating in the X-band. Telemetry will return 160 Gb/year, about 5 kbit/s over the lifetime of the spacecraft, which is expected to be greater than one year. The reaction and control system is based on cold gas thrusters. After its release in Mercury orbit, Mio will be operated by Sagamihara Space Operation Center using Usuda Deep Space Center's 64 m (210 ft) antenna located in Nagano, Japan.[87]

  • Mio at ESTEC before stacking
    Mio at ESTEC before stacking
  • Mio being lifted from the container by a crane
    Mio being lifted from the container by a crane
  • Mio on top of MPO (without sunshield)
    Mio on top of MPO (without sunshield)
  • Deployment of Mio
    Deployment of Mio

Science payload of Mio

[edit]

Mio carries five groups of science instruments with a total mass of 45 kg (99 lb):[3][87]

Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface

[edit]
Full stack with sunshield on top

The Mio orbiter requires additional thermal control on the cruise to Mercury, in addition to umbilicals to the MPO. The European Space Agency thus provided the Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface (MOSIF), a white shroud that is shaped like a conical frustrum to provide clearance, as Mio is spun up during its separation in 2026, before being ejected from the MPO.[98][13][14]

Mercury Surface Element (cancelled)

[edit]

The Mercury Surface Element (MSE) was cancelled in 2003 due to budgetary constraints.[35] At the time of cancellation, MSE was meant to be a small, 44 kg (97 lb), lander designed to operate for about one week on the surface of Mercury.[72] Shaped as a 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) diameter disc, it was designed to land at a latitude of 85° near the terminator region. Braking manoeuvres would bring the lander to zero velocity at an altitude of 120 m (390 ft) at which point the propulsion unit would be ejected, airbags inflated, and the module would fall to the surface with a maximum impact velocity of 30 m/s (98 ft/s). Scientific data would be stored onboard and relayed via a cross-dipole UHF antenna to either the MPO or Mio. The MSE would have carried a 7 kg (15 lb) payload consisting of an imaging system (a descent camera and a surface camera), a heat flow and physical properties package, an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, a magnetometer, a seismometer, a soil penetrating device (mole), and a micro-rover.[99]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "BepiColombo Factsheet". ESA. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "BepiColombo's first image from space". ESA. 10 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "MIO/BepiColombo". JAXA. 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d @JAXA_MMO (25 May 2026). "On November 21, 2026, we'll gently be captured by Mercury's gravity and enter orbit" (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via X (formerly Twitter). On November 21, 2026, we'll gently be captured by Mercury's gravity and enter orbit. And then on December 10, 2026, I'll separate from MPO and stand on my own
  5. ^ Amos, Jonathan (18 January 2008). "European probe aims for Mercury". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  6. ^ a b Dinner, Josh (3 September 2026). "'A new mission starting today': 8 years after launch, BepiColombo begins Mercury arrival". Space. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  7. ^ Rothery, David (11 July 2017). "The BepiColombo spacecraft is ready to solve the many mysteries of Mercury". The Conversation. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  8. ^ Clarke, Stephen (17 July 2017). "BepiColombo Mercury mission tested for journey into 'pizza oven'". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  9. ^ "BepiColombo Launch Rescheduled for October 2018". ESA. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  10. ^ "BepiColombo faces 11-month delay on journey to Mercury". Science. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  11. ^ Hayakawa, Hajime; Maejima, Hironori (2011). BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) (PDF). 9th IAA Low-Cost Planetary Missions Conference. 21–23 June 2011, Laurel, Maryland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  12. ^ a b Benkhoff, J.; Murakami, G.; Baumjohann, W.; et al. (December 2021). "BepiColombo - Mission Overview and Science Goals". Space Science Reviews. 217 (8) 90. Bibcode:2021SSRv..217...90B. doi:10.1007/s11214-021-00861-4. hdl:10138/337997.
  13. ^ a b "BepiColombo Flyby". BepiColombo Flyby. 20 October 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  14. ^ a b "BepiColombo arrival at Mercury timeline". ESA. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  15. ^ a b c "End of the blue glow: BepiColombo turns off solar electric propulsion for Mercury arrival". ESA. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  16. ^ "ESA delays BepiColombo orbital insertion because of thruster problem". SpaceNews. SpaceNews. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
  17. ^ a b c Amos, Jonathan (20 October 2018). "Blast-off for BepiColombo on mission to Mercury". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  18. ^ "Elsa Montagnon". ESA. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  19. ^ a b "BepiColombo to swing by Mercury for the sixth time". ESA. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  20. ^ "BepiColombo's ground control". ESA.
  21. ^ Tomaswick, Andy (17 August 2021). "Who was Giuseppe 'Bepi' Colombo and why Does he Have a Spacecraft Named After him?". Universe Today. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
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BepiColombo

BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two orbiters: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), built and operated by ESA, and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO), built and operated by JAXA. Together the satellites will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. During the cruise phase to reach Mercury, the orbiters were in a stacked configuration with two additional components: the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which provided power and solar electric propulsion for the cruise, and the Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface (MOSIF), which protects Mio from the harsh solar radiation until it is deployed. MTM was jettisoned before orbit insertion at Mercury, whereas MOSIF will be detached from MPO after the Japanese orbiter is deployed. In 2017 the spacecraft's cost was estimated at €1.65 billion (US$1.86 billion). It was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018, with Mercury orbit insertion planned for December 2025, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury. In 2024, due to a power-related anomaly limiting the thrust levels on its solar electric propulsion system, Mercury arrival was delayed to November 2026.

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Bepicolombo

Bepicolombo may refer to: BepiColombo, a mission to Mercury launched in October 2018 10387 Bepicolombo, an asteroid

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Wikipedia

Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the smallest in the Solar System. It is a rocky planet with a trace atmosphere and a surface gravity slightly lower than that of Mars. The surface of Mercury is similar to Earth's Moon, being cratered, with an expansive rupes system generated from thrust faults, and bright ray systems, formed by ejecta. Its largest crater, Caloris Planitia, has a diameter of 1,550 km (960 mi), which is about one-third the diameter of the planet (4,880 km or 3,030 mi). Being the most inferior orbiting planet, it always appears close to the Sun in Earth's sky, as either a "morning star" or an "evening star". It is the planet with the highest delta-v required for travel from Earth, as well as to and from the other planets in the Solar System. Mercury's sidereal year (88.0 Earth days) and sidereal day (58.65 Earth days) are in a 3:2 ratio, in a spin–orbit resonance. Consequently, one solar day (sunrise to sunrise) on Mercury lasts for around 176 Earth days, or twice Mercury's sidereal year. This means that one side of Mercury will remain in sunlight for one Mercurian year of 88 Earth days; while during the next orbit, that side will be in darkness all the time until the next sunrise after another 88 Earth days. Above the planet's surface is an extremely tenuous exosphere and a faint magnetic field just strong enough to deflect solar winds. Combined with its high orbital eccentricity, the planet's surface has widely varying sunlight intensity and temperature, with the equatorial regions ranging from −170 °C (−270 °F) at night to 420 °C (790 °F) during sunlight. Despite being the closest planet to the sun, it is the second hottest after Venus, lacking an atmosphere to trap heat. Due to its very small axial tilt, the planet's poles are permanently shadowed. This strongly suggests that water ice could be present in the craters. Like the other planets in the Solar System, Mercury formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago. There are competing hypotheses about Mercury's origins and development, some of which incorporate collision with planetesimals and rock vaporization; as of the early 2020s, many broad details of Mercury's geological history are still under investigation or pending data from space probes. Its mantle is highly homogeneous, which suggests that Mercury had a magma ocean early in its history, like the Moon. According to current models, Mercury may have a solid silicate crust and mantle overlaying a solid outer core, a deeper liquid core layer, and a solid inner core. Mercury is expected to be destroyed, along with Venus, and possibly the Earth and the Moon, when the Sun becomes a red giant in approximately seven or eight billion years. Mercury is a classical planet that has been observed and recognized throughout history as a planet (or wandering star). In English, it is named after the ancient Roman god Mercurius (Mercury), god of commerce and communication, and the messenger of the gods. The first successful flyby of Mercury was conducted by Mariner 10 in 1974, and it has since been visited and explored by the MESSENGER and BepiColombo orbiters.

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Exploration of Mercury

The exploration of Mercury has long had a minor role in the space interests of the world. It is the least explored inner planet. As of 2026, the Mariner 10, MESSENGER, and BepiColombo missions have been the only spacecraft that have made close observations of Mercury. MESSENGER made three flybys before entering orbit around Mercury. BepiColombo, a joint mission between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency, is to deliver two probes into Mercury orbit in 2026, having previously made six flybys of the tiny planet. MESSENGER and BepiColombo are intended to gather complementary data to help scientists understand many of the mysteries discovered by Mariner 10's flybys. Compared to other planets, Mercury is difficult to explore. The speed required to reach it is relatively high, and its proximity to the Sun makes it difficult to maneuver a spacecraft into a stable orbit around it. As a result, all spacecraft sent to visit Mercury as of 2025 have required a complex trajectory of gravity assists, highly efficient ion propulsion, or both. The thermal environment around Mercury is also challenging, with probes utilizing sunshields, specially designed materials, or radiators to survive the heat so close to the Sun.

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