BepiColombo Survived a Glitchy 8-Year Trip to Mercury. Now Comes the Hard Part
The mission will split into two orbiters after a power glitch delayed its Mercury arrival and pushed back the science phase, ESA said.
- On Thursday, the BepiColombo spacecraft will separate from its Mercury Transfer Module at 2pm CEST , marking the beginning of the mission's final arrival phase at Mercury.
- The European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency jointly developed the mission, which launched eight years ago to explore Mercury's surface, interior, and magnetic field.
- Professor Emma Bunce, Principal Investigator of the Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer , stated the mission represents "the next level of capability" for studying Mercury's space environment and surface features.
- Mission control expects confirmation of the successful separation one hour and 53 minutes after the event, though no live images will be available for public viewing.
- The twin orbiters will enter orbit on November 21, with the Mercury Planet Orbiter reaching its final configuration on March 10, 2027, before science operations begin April 6.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The BepiColombo mission prepares for one of the most important moments of its long journey. After almost eight years in space, the Euro-Japanese probe entered the final phase of its approach to Mercury, the planet...
On Thursday at 2 p.m., after eight years, the hot phase of the BepiColombo mission begins. Two probes are separated from their mother ship and are to investigate Mercury. The sun-next planet has so far been somewhat neglected.
After 8 years of flight, a maneuver decides on the success of the ESA-Mercury mission. Swiss researchers are waiting banished.
The BepiColombo mission, launched in 2018, is preparing to separate its transfer module from the two scientific orbiters and begin the complex phase of arrival to Mercury, where it will study the planet's surface, composition and magnetosphere.
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