ESA - ESA Spacecraft Operations - BepiColombo

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BepiColombo

The mission

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Artist's impression of the Mercury Composite Spacecraft during t

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Artist's impression of the Mercury Composite Spacecraft during the interplanetary cruise to Mercury. During this phase of the mission, the solar electric propulsion system will be used to brake against the Sun's increasingly stronger pull as the spacecraft travels toward the Solar System's innermost planet.

Two sets of two ion engines (one set for redundancy) are situated at the end of the Mercury Transfer Module, in a square configuration around the nozzle of the main chemical engine.

Credits: ESA

The Flight Control Team

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Elsa Montagnon, interim SOM, BepiColumbo

Credits: ESA/J. Mai www.juergenmai.com

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The BepiColombo mission consists of two individual orbiters: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), that will map the planet, and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), that will investigate its magnetosphere.

BepiColombo will help reveal information on the composition and history of Mercury, and the history and formation of the inner planets in general, including Earth.

Credits: EADS Astrium

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ESA's new 35-metre deep-space dish antenna, located at Cebreros, near Avila, Spain, is undergoing final acceptance testing.

Credits: European Space Agency/ESA

The platform and payload

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This exploded view shows BepiColombo in its cruise configuration.

The transfer module is provided with solar-electric propulsion and chemical propulsion units. The former will be used during the cruise to destination; the latter will be used after launch to boost up the orbit to the Moon's altitude for the planned lunar gravity-assist.

Credits: EADS Astrium

More information

BepiColombo overview BepiColombo in-depth BepiColombo Science Operations Center Images, animations

Ground stations

Cebreros - DSA 2

Launch vehicle

Soyuz

JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)JAXA - BepiColombo mission JAXA - Usuda Deep Space Center