BepiColombo sheds its ride and starts the final glide to Mercury
2026-09-05 14:41General🔥 42.2 heat score
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The BeppoNet probe jointly launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully separated from its Mercury transfer module on September 3, 2026, and officially entered the final glide phase towards Mercury orbit. After this separation, the solar panels of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) began charging the batteries. Originally scheduled to reach orbit in December 2025, due to issues with the solar electric propulsion system, the arrival time was postponed by one year to November 21, 2026. Subsequently, the Mercury Orbiter Module (MMO) will be released from December 9 to 10. MPO is expected to enter its final orbit of 480 x 1500 kilometers a week later, and the scientific mission will officially begin in April 2027. Since its launch in 2018, this probe has made multiple flybys of Venus, Earth, and Mercury, aiming to study the magnetic field structure of Mercury and its interaction with the solar wind.
The ESA and JAXA’s BepiColombo probe successfully separated from its Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) on September 3, officially beginning the final glide phase toward Mercury’s orbit. After this separation, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) solar panels began charging the batteries. Originally scheduled to enter orbit in December 2025, the arrival time was delayed by one year to November 21 due to issues with the solar electric propulsion system. Subsequently, the MPO will be released from December 9 to 10, and the MPO will enter its final orbit of 480 x 1500 kilometers a week later. The scientific mission will begin in April 2027. Since its launch in 2018, this probe has performed multiple flybys of Venus, Earth, and Mercury. It is a collaboration between ESA and JAXA, aimed at studying Mercury’s magnetic field structure and its interaction with the solar wind.