BepiColombo has entered another crucial phase of its long journey to Mercury after the spacecraft’s Mercury Transfer Module separated, bringing the European-Japanese mission closer to its ultimate destination

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The separation represents a significant step in a mission that began almost eight years ago with a powerful launch from Europe’s Spaceport aboard an Ariane 5 rocket.

Journey Began in October 2018

BepiColombo started its voyage on 20 October 2018, when an Ariane 5 ECA lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport and sent the spacecraft onto an escape path from Earth.

The launcher accelerated the mission to approximately 10.99 kilometres per second, equivalent to nearly 40,000 kilometres per hour. The flight also marked the first occasion on which an Ariane 5 ECA was used for this particular type of deep-space mission.

From that launch, BepiColombo embarked on an exceptionally demanding trajectory through the inner Solar System.

Billions of Kilometres Across the Solar System

Reaching Mercury is far more complicated than simply travelling toward the planet. BepiColombo has had to follow a carefully designed route through the Solar System, covering billions of kilometres while using planetary encounters and precise spacecraft manoeuvres to gradually alter its orbit.

The mission is a joint effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Its journey is intended to deliver spacecraft to the challenging environment around Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.

Transfer Module Completes Its Role

The separation of the Mercury Transfer Module signals an important transition in the mission. The module played a key role in transporting the spacecraft toward Mercury during the long cruise phase.

With this stage now complete, the mission is moving into its final approach phase. The spacecraft’s progress represents the culmination of years of engineering, navigation, scientific planning and international cooperation.

A Landmark Mission to Mercury

Mercury presents unusual challenges for spacecraft because of its proximity to the Sun. Extreme solar radiation and the planet’s demanding orbital environment make reaching and operating around Mercury particularly difficult.

BepiColombo’s journey therefore stands as one of Europe and Japan’s most ambitious planetary exploration projects. Its eventual observations are expected to expand scientific understanding of Mercury and provide new information about the formation and evolution of rocky planets.

The latest separation is another milestone in that extraordinary voyage, bringing BepiColombo closer to beginning its detailed exploration of the innermost planet of the Solar System.