After 8 years, Europe's BepiColombo mission is on final approach to Mercury

After eight years, Europe's BepiColombo mission has reached a crucial stage in its journey to Mercury. The robotic science mission, costing nearly $2 billion, is a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency, Japan, and the United States. Since its launch in 2018, BepiColombo has been gradually drawn closer to the Sun through a blend of plasma propulsion and several flybys of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.

These maneuvers have adjusted the spacecraft's velocity and guided it towards a final rendezvous with Mercury, scheduled for later this year. Upon reaching its destination, BepiColombo will possess the optimal speed for Mercury's gravity to ensnare the spacecraft into orbit. Scientists familiar with interplanetary missions are aware of the lengthy waits inherent in such endeavors.

It took NASA's New Horizons spacecraft nearly a decade to journey from Earth to Pluto, demonstrating that reaching fleet-footed Mercury and securing a stable orbit requires significantly more energy, or delta-v, compared to merely passing by Pluto.