BepiColombo spacecraft separate from carrier as mission nears Mercury orbit
The European and Japanese components of the BepiColombo probe successfully detached from their carrier and continue toward Mercury, with orbital insertion expected in November.
Two spacecraft bound for Mercury separated from their carrier on Thursday, marking the final phase of a nearly decade-long journey to the Sun-closest planet. The separation, carried out by the European Space Agency’s control center in Germany, was confirmed after a two-hour radio wait.
"It’s a brilliant moment," said lead project scientist Geraint Jones.
If the plan proceeds, the joint probe, known as BepiColombo, will reach Mercury’s orbit in November and the two craft will detach in December to conduct complementary mapping from different altitudes. The spacecraft still have about 2 million miles (3.3 million kilometres) to travel.
Launched in 2018, BepiColombo has already covered more than 6 billion miles (10 billion kilometres) using a series of nine planetary flybys to shed velocity for Mercury capture. The most recent flyby in January 2025 produced high-resolution images of the planet’s craters and volcanic plains.
Mission manager Santa Martinez noted that Mercury’s small size belies the scientific mysteries it holds, and Jones added that much remains to be learned. Starting next spring, instruments on the European and Japanese modules will examine Mercury’s magnetic field, interior structure, and surface processes, including the hollow depressions thought to result from mineral vaporization.
Engineers designed the probe to survive extreme thermal conditions, with ESA operations chief Ignacio Tanco likening the environment to “a very hot pizza oven running right on your back.” The European Space Agency will fund the majority of the $2 billion mission.