Watch live: BepiColombo begins its arrival at Mercury
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is entering its final arrival phase at Mercury, with the separation of the Mercury Transfer Module scheduled for September 3, 2026. This marks a critical milestone in a complex, eight-year interplanetary journey.
Why it matters
This mission is a major international collaboration that will provide unprecedented data about Mercury, the least explored terrestrial planet.
After eight years, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is about to enter its Mercury Arrival Phase. On 3 September 2026, ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will separate from BepiColombo’s two science orbiters – the first major step in one of the most operationally challenging planetary arrival sequences ever attempted by ESA.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will livestream the critical milestone from 13:45 CEST. Tune in and witness the first step of one of the most complex phases of the mission, live from ESA mission control.
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is ready for the first critical step towards arriving at its final destination, the mysterious planet Mercury. After eight years of travelling together as one stacked spacecraft, ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module ( MTM ), which has powered BepiColombo’s interplanetary journey, will separate from BepiColombo’s two science orbiters on 3 September 2026.
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