After nearly eight years since its launch, the BepiColombo spacecraft is on the cusp of reaching Mercury, following a critical maneuver that saw it separate from the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM). This event occurred on September 3, 2026, at approximately 1400 CEST, and was confirmed successful shortly thereafter.
Controllers received a preliminary Doppler signal indicating the MTM’s separation, and by 1552 CEST, further signals confirmed that the spacecraft was operating as planned. The solar panels of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) are now recharging the spacecraft’s batteries, preparing it for the next phase of its mission.
Upcoming Milestones
The next significant event in the mission timeline is the insertion into orbit around Mercury, scheduled for November 21, 2026. Following this, the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), also known as Mio, will be deployed between December 9 and 10. A week later, the MPO will initiate its transition to a final orbit of approximately 480 x 1500 km, with scientific operations set to commence in April 2027.
Mission Delays and Challenges
Originally, BepiColombo was expected to be in orbit around Mercury by December 2025. However, complications with the spacecraft’s Solar Electric Power (SEP) system necessitated a reevaluation of its trajectory, resulting in a delay of approximately one year.
International Collaboration
The BepiColombo mission exemplifies international cooperation in space exploration, with contributions from both the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The MPO and MTM are ESA’s components, while the MMO is a JAXA initiative. Additionally, ESA provided a sunshield to protect the MMO during its transit, which will be discarded after the MMO is released.
The MPO measures 2.4 x 2.2 x 1.7 meters and has a mass of 1,230 kg, including an 85 kg science payload. In contrast, the MMO has a diameter of 1.8 meters, a height of 1.1 meters, and weighs 255 kg, with 45 kg dedicated to its science payload. The MPO is designed for 3-axis stabilization, while the MMO will utilize a spin-stabilization method at 15 rpm, with its spin axis oriented 90 degrees to the Sun.
The mission aims to investigate various aspects of Mercury, including the structure and dynamics of its magnetosphere, its interaction with solar wind, and the characteristics of its large iron core and magnetic field origin. The initial mission duration is planned for one Earth year, equivalent to about four Mercury years, with the possibility of extending it for another Earth year.
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