Launched in 2018, the BepiColombo mission is on the verge of achieving its goal of over seven years: to orbit Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. A collaboration between the European Space Agency and its Japanese counterpart, this technological endeavor aims to provide a better understanding of one of the most mysterious planets in the solar system. Why has it taken so long to reach a planet so close to Earth? And what do scientists hope to …
Launched in 2018, the BepiColombo mission is on the verge of achieving its goal of over seven years: to orbit Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. A collaboration between the European Space Agency and its Japanese counterpart, this technological endeavor aims to provide a better understanding of one of the most mysterious planets in the solar system. Why has it taken so long to reach a planet so close to Earth? And what do scientists hope to …