A significant milestone has been reached on the journey of BepiColombo, ESA and JAXA’s mission to #Mercury, with the strong contribution of Agenzia Spaziale Italiana – ASI.
After nearly eight years in space and more than 700 days of solar electric propulsion operations, the spacecraft has successfully completed its final electric propulsion manoeuvre and is now travelling on a ballistic trajectory towards its destination. This achievement marks the symbolic conclusion of the Cruise Phase and the beginning of the final approach to Mercury.
The mission remains on schedule, with the separation of the #MTM (Mercury Transfer Module) planned for September and the first orbit insertion manoeuvres expected in November.
OHB Italia S.p.A. is proud to continue supporting this extraordinary mission through its industrial contribution to #SERENA (Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted Natural Abundances), one of the scientific instruments aboard. Designed to investigate Mercury’s exosphere and its interaction with the solar environment, SERENA will contribute to expanding our understanding of the innermost planet of our Solar System.
This key step reflects the strength of a collaborative ecosystem bringing together ESA, JAXA, ASI, industry and the scientific community. Through the combined expertise and commitment, BepiColombo continues its journey towards delivering unprecedented insights into Mercury.
3D BepiColombo Credits : ESA – European Space Agency.
Under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency.
The view expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space agency
