BepiColombo mission set to reach Mercury 8 years after launch

An image of Mercury (NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and Carnegie; edited)

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission has been cruising towards Mercury since 2018, but will finally enter its orbit in November 2026. It will study Mercury’s magnetic field and the planet’s surface — how it formed, what it’s made of, how it changes over time, and its temperature.

Chibuike Okpara, Published 11/27/2025

Astronomy / Space Science

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission launched in October 2018. The mission is made of three parts: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO or Mio), and Mercury Transfer Module (MTM). MTM is the engine responsible for propelling the mission to Mercury. BepiColombo’s main science phase will only start when it enters Mercury’s orbit and MPO and Mio detach.

However, between 2018 and now, BepiColombo has swung past Mercury six times, Venus twice, and Earth once. During its flyby past Mercury, it measured Mercury’s magnetic environment. The monitoring cameras (M-CAMs) on MTM also captured hundreds of 1024×1024-pixel planet photos of Earth, Venus, and Mercury. The images of Mercury showed craters, volcanoes, and plains on the planet.

The main measurement and imaging, though, will start from November 2026. The magnetometers and particle detectors of both Mio and MPO will be more sensitive. Mio will use its sodium imager and dust detector to investigate other materials around Mercury.

MPO, on the other hand, will capture high-resolution images of Mercury’s surface in X-rays, visible and near-infrared light, and infrared light. The spacecraft will also measure the precise height and shape of Mercury’s surface using its BepiColombo Laser Altimeter (BELA). Ultimately, the mission will give a full picture of what Mercury is made of, including whether or not water is present there.

Source(s)

ESA: 1 and 2

Loading Comments

Comment on this article

NASA spots a mysterious red sphere ...

Chibuike Okpara - Tech Writer - 296 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, "Why not get into writing tech articles?" It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a 'bookworm' of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.

Please share our article, every link counts!