The joint ESA-JAXA mission BepiColombo is expected to enter orbit around what planet in late 2026?

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have collaborated on the ambitious BepiColombo mission, which is set to achieve orbit around Mercury in late 2026. This intricate mission aims to provide unprecedented insights into the innermost and least explored planet of our solar system. Upon arrival in November 2026, BepiColombo will become only the third spacecraft in history to visit Mercury, following NASA's Mariner 10 and MESSENGER missions.

The journey to Mercury is exceptionally challenging due to the Sun's immense gravitational pull and intense heat. BepiColombo, launched in October 2018, has undertaken an eight-year cruise phase, employing a complex series of nine gravity-assist maneuvers, including one at Earth, two at Venus, and six at Mercury itself, to gradually slow down and fine-tune its trajectory. The mission comprises two scientific orbiters: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio). These two spacecraft will separate upon arrival to conduct simultaneous observations from different orbits, providing a comprehensive view of the planet.

Once in orbit, BepiColombo will conduct a thorough study of Mercury's unique characteristics. Scientists are particularly interested in understanding its unusually large iron core, the origin of its magnetic field, and the presence of water ice in permanently shadowed craters despite extreme surface temperatures. The mission will also investigate Mercury's surface composition, geology, exosphere, and its interaction with the powerful solar wind. By gathering this crucial data, BepiColombo will help unravel mysteries about the formation and evolution of Mercury and, by extension, the early solar system.