BepiColombo Arrives at Mercury
BepiColombo Arrives at Mercury
BepiColombo is a joint mission from the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. It launched in October 2018 and has spent years travelling through the inner Solar System. The mission is heading to Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. As of 1 October 2026, BepiColombo has not yet entered its final science orbit around Mercury. ESA plans the main Mercury orbit-insertion step for 21 November 2026. This article must therefore remain unpublished until ESA confirms that the maneuver succeeded.
Why getting to Mercury is difficult
Mercury is close to the Sun, but that does not make it easy to reach. A spacecraft falling inward toward the Sun gains a lot of speed. To enter orbit around Mercury, BepiColombo must lose enough of that speed at the right time. The mission used flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury to slowly change its path. It also used solar-electric propulsion during the long cruise. This careful route saves fuel but makes the journey much longer.
What happens at arrival
Reaching the area around Mercury is not the same as immediately starting full science operations. The spacecraft first needs to be captured into orbit. Further maneuvers then adjust that orbit for the science mission. BepiColombo carries two separate science orbiters that will later operate around Mercury. ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter is called MPO. JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter is called Mio.
What MPO will study
MPO is designed to study Mercury itself in great detail. Its instruments will map the surface and measure its composition. It will also study Mercury's gravity, shape and rotation. Those measurements can reveal clues about the planet's large metal-rich interior. MPO will also examine the extremely thin layer of gas around Mercury, called the exosphere. Together, these observations can help explain how such a small planet formed and changed.
What Mio will study
Mio will focus more strongly on the space environment around Mercury. Mercury has a global magnetic field, which is unusual for such a small rocky planet. That field interacts with particles flowing outward from the Sun. Mio will measure magnetic fields, charged particles and plasma waves. It can also study how material around Mercury changes as solar conditions change. Using Mio and MPO together lets scientists connect the planet with the space environment around it.
Why this article is still on hold
Space missions sometimes miss planned dates or face unexpected problems. A maneuver should not be described as successful before the mission team confirms it. That is why a planned arrival date is not enough for a finished news article. Once ESA reports successful orbit insertion, the opening of this article can be updated. Later milestones, including spacecraft separation and science operations, should also be dated carefully. Paleon will keep this draft hidden until the mission status is confirmed by ESA.