BepiColombo’s Mercury arrival begins - full replay
Video: 02:31:10 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…
On 3 September 2026, BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will embark on a historic journey, marking the commencement of one of the most intricate planetary arrival maneuvers ever executed by the European Space Agency (ESA). Following an eight-year voyage through the inner Solar System alongside its fellow spacecraft, the MTM will detach from the rest of the payload, commencing its solo pursuit of Mercury.
This critical maneuver, capturing the attention of ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, will be broadcast live. The program encompasses live visuals from the famous Main Control Room, expert commentary, insider perspectives, and the first transmission from the separated spacecraft. The livestream schedule, in Central European Summer Time (CEST), commences at 13:45, with the MTM separation set to occur at 14:00.
Following the separation, there will be a brief pause at 14:30, resuming the stream at 15:30. The earliest possible signal from the spacecraft and a status verification are anticipated around 15:53. The livestream is projected to conclude at 16:00, with a follow-up session extending until 16:45.
Written by urgent.news from ESA Space Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- BepiColombo mission 1 step closer to Mercury today earthsky.org
- BepiColombo sheds its ride and starts the final glide to Mercury theregister.com
