1 day / second
0.5 AU
BepiColombo
Spacecraft
A joint ESA-JAXA mission launched in 2018 that uses innovative electric propulsion and a complex series of planetary flybys to reach Mercury, where it will separate into two orbiters to study the planet's composition, magnetosphere, and environment.
Key Facts
organization | ESA |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 2018-10-20 |
launch mass | 4,100 kg |
power | 150 watts |
Mission Timeline
Launched
October 20, 2018 at 01:45 UTC
Venus
Gravity Assist
BepiColombo performed its first Venus flyby on October 15, 2020, passing within 10,720 kilometers of the planet to adjust its trajectory for its eventual Mercury orbit insertion.
Mercury
Gravity Assist
BepiColombo performed its first Mercury flyby on October 1, 2021, passing within 199 kilometers of the planet's surface while capturing images and scientific data during its multi-year journey to achieve Mercury orbit.
