BepiColombo
Sign in to saveBepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The mission will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. It was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018, with Mercury orbit insertion planned for November 2026, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus
Key facts
- Spaceflight.name
- BepiColombo
- Spaceflight.image
- BepiColombo spacecraft model.png
- Spaceflight.image_caption
- Artist's depiction of the BepiColombo mission, with the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (left) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (right)
- Spaceflight.image_alt
- Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter
- Spaceflight.image_size
- 300px
- Spaceflight.mission_type
- Planetary science
- Spaceflight.COSPAR_ID
- 2018-080A
- Spaceflight.SATCAT
- 43653
- Spaceflight.website
- https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo
- Spaceflight.mission_duration
- Cruise: 7 years (planned) 8 years (actual)Science phase: 1 year (planned) (in progress)
- Spaceflight.BOL_mass
- MPO: Mio:
- Spaceflight.dimensions
- MPO: Mio:
- Spaceflight.power
- MPO: 150 wattsMio: 90 watts
- Spaceflight.launch_date
- 20 October 2018, 01:45 UTC
- Spaceflight.launch_rocket
- Ariane 5 ECA (VA245)
- Spaceflight.launch_site
- Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3
- Spaceflight.launch_contractor
- Arianespace
- Spaceflight.insignia
- BepiColombo Insignia.png
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
23 sectionsContents
- Names
- Scientific objectives
- Mission overview
- Mission timeline
- Before launch
- Launch
- Gravity assist maneuvers
- Science during Venus flybys
- Science during Mercury flybys
- Thruster issues
- Future
- Trajectory
- Mission components
- Mercury Transfer Module
- Mercury Planetary Orbiter
- Science payload of MPO
- ''Mio'' (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter)
- Science payload of ''Mio''
- Magnetospheric Orbiter Sunshield and Interface
- Mercury Surface Element (cancelled)
- See also
- References
- External links
BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The mission will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. It was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018, with Mercury orbit insertion planned for November 2026, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury. The total cost of the mission was estimated in 2017 as US$2 billion.
== Names == BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (1920–1984), a scientist, mathematician and engineer at the University of Padua, Italy, who first proposed the interplanetary gravity assist manoeuvre used by the 1974 Mariner 10 mission, a technique now used frequently by planetary probes.