2 spacecraft will soon reach Mercury after 8 years in space. Here’s what BepiColombo can do – Space
The joint European-Japanese BepiColombo mission is nearing its destination, Mercury, after an intricate eight-year voyage through the inner solar system. Comprising two sophisticated spacecraft, the mission is poised to enter orbit around the solar system’s innermost planet in December 2025, embarking on an unprecedented study of Mercury’s unique environment, composition, and magnetic field.
Background: Unveiling Mercury’s Mysteries
Mercury, the smallest and least explored of the inner rocky planets, presents extreme challenges for space exploration. Its proximity to the Sun results in scorching surface temperatures reaching 430 degrees Celsius during the day, plummeting to -180 degrees Celsius at night. The planet’s unique characteristics, including its unusually large iron core, thin exosphere, and surprisingly active magnetic field, hold crucial clues about the formation and evolution of terrestrial planets.
Previous missions provided foundational knowledge but left many questions unanswered. NASA's Mariner 10 conducted three flybys in the mid-1970s, mapping about 45% of the surface. Later, NASA’s MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015, completing the global mapping and discovering water ice in permanently shadowed craters at the poles. However, MESSENGER’s orbit and instrument suite had limitations, particularly in comprehensively studying the planet’s magnetosphere and internal structure over an extended period.
BepiColombo, a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was conceived to build upon these discoveries. Named after Italian mathematician and engineer Giuseppe «Bepi» Colombo, who was instrumental in planning Mariner 10’s trajectory, the mission aims to provide the most comprehensive study of Mercury to date. It launched on October 20, 2018, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket.
Key Developments: A Complex Interplanetary Ballet
BepiColombo’s journey to Mercury has been a masterclass in orbital mechanics, employing a series of gravity-assist maneuvers to gradually shed the immense speed required to reach the innermost planet and then slow down enough to be captured by its gravity. This complex trajectory minimizes the amount of fuel needed for the mission, a critical factor for deep-space exploration.
The mission consists of two independent scientific orbiters, stacked together for the cruise phase: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), built by ESA, and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), also known as Mio, built by JAXA. These two spacecraft are carried by the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which provides propulsion and power during the long cruise phase.
The Journey So Far
Since its launch, BepiColombo has executed several crucial flybys to adjust its trajectory and velocity. It performed one Earth flyby in April 2020, followed by two Venus flybys in October 2020 and August 2021. These planetary encounters provided gravitational slingshots, redirecting the spacecraft deeper into the solar system.
Crucially, the mission has also completed six of its planned nine Mercury flybys. The first Mercury flyby occurred in October 2021, providing initial close-up views and data. Subsequent flybys, including the most recent in September 2024, have progressively reduced the spacecraft’s speed relative to Mercury, fine-tuning its approach for orbital insertion. Each flyby offers a brief window for instrument calibration and preliminary scientific observations.
Dual Spacecraft Design and Scientific Focus
The two orbiters are designed to operate from different vantage points and focus on distinct aspects of Mercury’s environment, providing a synergistic view.
Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)
The MPO, built by ESA, is equipped with 11 sophisticated instruments. Its primary objective is to study Mercury’s surface and internal composition, geology, exosphere, and gravitational field. Instruments aboard the MPO include high-resolution cameras for detailed mapping, spectrometers to analyze surface composition, a laser altimeter to map topography, and a radiometer to measure surface temperatures.
Operating in an elliptical polar orbit, the MPO will face extreme thermal challenges due to Mercury’s proximity to the Sun. It incorporates innovative thermal control systems, including a large ceramic sunshield and specially designed radiators, to maintain operational temperatures for its sensitive instruments. The MPO will provide insights into the planet’s internal structure, the presence of volatile materials, and the geological processes that shaped its surface.
Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO/Mio)
JAXA’s MMO, or Mio (Japanese for «waterway,» also an acronym for Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter), carries five instruments dedicated to studying Mercury’s magnetic field, magnetosphere, and its interaction with the solar wind. Unlike Earth, Mercury’s magnetic field is relatively weak and highly dynamic, making it a unique laboratory for understanding planetary dynamos.
Mio is spin-stabilized, allowing its instruments to provide a 360-degree view of the space environment around Mercury. Its payload includes plasma analyzers, magnetometers, and instruments to study energetic particles and radio waves. Mio’s data will be crucial for understanding how the solar wind impacts Mercury’s exosphere, the processes driving its magnetic field, and the mechanisms by which it protects the planet from direct solar radiation.
Impact: Unlocking Planetary Secrets
BepiColombo is poised to deliver an unprecedented wealth of data, addressing fundamental questions about Mercury and the broader solar system. Its comprehensive scientific objectives include:
- Origin and Evolution: Investigating the formation and evolution of Mercury, and by extension, the entire inner solar system. The planet’s high density and large iron core are particularly enigmatic.
- Internal Structure: Determining the precise internal structure, including the size and state of its core (liquid or solid), and the thickness of its crust and mantle.
- Magnetic Field: Characterizing the origin, structure, and dynamics of Mercury’s intrinsic magnetic field, which is unique among terrestrial planets for its dipole-like nature but weak strength.
- Exosphere and Surface Processes: Studying the composition, dynamics, and origin of Mercury’s extremely tenuous atmosphere (exosphere), and how it interacts with the solar wind and surface.
- Polar Deposits: Confirming the presence and composition of water ice and other volatile materials in permanently shadowed craters near Mercury’s poles, and understanding their origin.
- General Relativity Test: Using the precise orbital measurements of the spacecraft to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity with high accuracy in the strong gravitational field near the Sun.
By providing simultaneous measurements from two orbiters in different locations and with complementary instrument suites, BepiColombo will offer a holistic view that single-orbiter missions could not achieve. This dual perspective is crucial for disentangling spatial and temporal variations in Mercury’s dynamic environment.
What Next: Orbital Insertion and Scientific Harvest
The coming year marks the culmination of BepiColombo’s long cruise phase. Following the remaining Mercury flybys, the mission’s critical moment will be the Mercury Orbital Insertion Maneuver (OIM), scheduled for December 2025. This complex maneuver will require precise thruster firings to slow the spacecraft sufficiently for Mercury’s gravity to capture it.
Once captured, the Mercury Transfer Module will separate, allowing the MPO and Mio to deploy into their respective operational orbits. The MPO will settle into a low, elliptical polar orbit, while Mio will operate in a higher orbit, providing complementary observations. Following a commissioning phase where instruments are thoroughly checked and calibrated, the scientific mission is expected to commence. The nominal operational phase is planned for at least one to two years, with potential for extension depending on fuel reserves and spacecraft health.
Scientists anticipate a flood of new data that will revolutionize our understanding of Mercury. The findings from BepiColombo are expected to not only answer existing questions but also uncover new mysteries about the innermost planet, offering invaluable insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems across the galaxy.
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