BepiColombo's journey to Mercury

BepiColombo launched on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 01:45:28 GMT on 20 October 2018. To reach Mercury, it uses the gravity of Earth, Venus and Mercury in combination with the thrust provided by electric propulsion. Upon arrival to the little planet in late 2026, BepiColombo's stacked spacecraft will split up, with ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO, or Mio) entering into separate orbits around Mercury. 

This graphic highlights the flyby schedule, and facts associated with the journey to Mercury.

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Note: This image was updated in August 2021, September 2024 and July 2025 to reflect updated mission milestone dates.