After 8 years, Europe's BepiColombo mission is on final approach to Mercury
The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission is nearing its final approach to Mercury after an eight-year journey. The mission utilizes complex gravity-assist maneuvers to prepare for orbital insertion later this year.
Why it matters
This mission represents a major milestone in planetary science, aiming to uncover the origins and composition of the solar system's innermost planet.
The hottest news in space After 8 years, Europe’s BepiColombo mission is on final approach to Mercury “Fundamentally, we want to learn about the origins of this planet and how it came to be like it is.”
3 Artist's illustration of BepiColombo's propulsion module (bottom) separating from the spacecraft's two science orbiters. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab and NASA/JPL Artist's illustration of BepiColombo's propulsion module (bottom) separating from the spacecraft's two science orbiters. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab and NASA/JPL Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The BepiColombo mission cleared a major milestone this week in the final stretch of an eight-year interplanetary voyage to Mercury, the hard-to-reach, scorching hot iron world at the Solar System’s innermost frontier.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in