BepiColombo spacecraft begin risky final approach to Mercury orbit

The joint European-Japanese BepiColombo mission has entered the final, high-risk phase of its eight-year journey to Mercury after its two science spacecraft separated from the transfer module. The spacecraft are expected to enter orbit around Mercury in November and separate in December, after which they will survey the planet from different altitudes. Reaching Mercury required more than 10 billion kilometers of travel and nine planetary flybys because the Sun’s strong gravity makes slowing into orbit unusually difficult. Beginning next spring, the probes will study Mercury’s magnetic field, interior and surface geology, including its impact craters, volcanic plains and mysterious hollows. The mission is expected to significantly expand knowledge of one of the solar system’s least-explored planets.