Watch the replay of the livestream originally broadcast on 3 September as ESA/JAXA's BepiColombo mission took the first critical step towards arriving at Mercury.

After travelling through the inner Solar System together for eight years, BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will separate from the rest of the stacked spacecraft on 3 September 2026. This marks the beginning of one of the most complex planetary arrival sequences ever attempted by ESA.

Broadcast live from ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, the programme includes live views from the iconic Main Control Room, expert analysis, behind-the-scenes insights, and the first signal from the spacecraft following separation. 

Livestream schedule (CEST): 

13:45 – Livestream begins 
14:00 – MTM separation 
14:30 – Livestream pause 
15:30 – Livestream resumes 
15:53 – Earliest possible acquisition of signal and spacecraft status check 
16:00-16:45 – End of livestream