The BepiColombo probe of the first European mission to Mercury, joint with Japan, will make the first of six orbits around the planet tonight, and then go into orbit in 2025.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – October 01, 2021 – Video
After flying near Venus in August, the orbiter will approach Mercury at 23:34 UTC on October 1 (at 2:34 on October 2, Kyiv time). It will fly over the planet at an altitude of about 200 km, taking pictures and collecting scientific data that will allow scientists to “taste the main mission for the first time.”
BepiColombo consists of two orbiters that will be delivered to orbit around the planet using a module in 2025. The ESA Planetary Orbiter and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will study all aspects of this mysterious planet from its core to surface processes, magnetic field, and exosphere to better understand the planet’s origin and evolution.
BepiColombo flies from the night side, so the first pictures will be taken after a close approach and sent on Saturday morning.
The European-Japanese space probe BepiColombo from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana launched to Mercury on October 20, 2018.
Source: Ukrgate
Read also: SpaceX Has Launched the Falcon-9 Spacecraft
