Mercury seems close to the Sun on a map, but BepiColombo had to travel 9.3 billion kilometers to reach it — 120 times the direct distance. The gravitational well of the Sun makes this small planet one of the most difficult destinations of the solar system, requiring eight years of travel and complex gravitational assistance manoeuvres. More
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Mercury seems close to the Sun on a map, but BepiColombo had to travel 9.3 billion kilometers to reach it — 120 times the direct distance. The gravitational well of the Sun makes this small planet one of the most difficult destinations of the solar system, requiring eight years of travel and complex gravitational assistance manoeuvres. More