BepiColombo probe begins final descent toward Mercury after eight-year journey
After eight years in space, the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission has entered its last phase, separating its propulsion module and starting the approach to Mercury’s orbit.
BepiColombo, the collaborative mission of the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, has reached the final stage of its trek to Mercury after eight years and more than 6 billion miles of travel. A propulsion-module separation confirmed on September 3 cleared the path for the spacecraft’s controlled descent into low Mercury orbit, despite a previous malfunction that delayed arrival by nearly a year.
The probe has performed nine gravity-assist maneuvers, looping around Earth, Venus and Mercury to manage its speed as it falls toward the Sun. Upon reaching Mercury, the spacecraft will divide into two units: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter, which will map the surface and interior, and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio), which will examine the magnetic field and thin exosphere. The two will orbit simultaneously for the first time, with scientific observations slated to start in April 2027 after deployment of Mio’s sunshield and final orbital adjustments.
Why it matters
The mission will provide unprecedented data on Mercury, shedding light on planetary formation and testing Einstein’s relativity near the Sun.
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