Space Exploration: Critical maneuver on Mercury probe "Bepicolombo" successful
A maneuver for the Mercury mission was considered critical in advance. Experts trained various scenarios for months.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Bepicolombo spacecraft has successfully separated from its propulsion module after eight years of travel through the inner solar system, putting it on track to explore Mercury. The €1.7 billion mission, a collaboration with the Japanese space agency Jaxa, aims to study the least explored planet in the inner solar system.
The two onboard orbiters will use various instruments to investigate Mercury's magnetic field, surface, core, and atmosphere, and provide insights into the planet's formation. The orbiters are expected to enter their planned orbits in December and March, with scientific operations set to begin in April.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
