Artist's depiction of the BepiColombo mission, with the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (left) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (right)
Mission type
Planetary science
Operator
ESA
JAXA
COSPAR ID
2018-080A
SATCAT no.
43653
Mission duration
Cruise: 7 years (planned) Science phase: 1 year (planned) 5 years, 6 months and 24 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer
Airbus
ISAS
Launch mass
4,100 kg (9,000 lb) [1]
BOL mass
MPO: 1,230 kg (2,710 lb) Mio: 255 kg (562 lb) [1]
Dry mass
2,700 kg (6,000 lb) [1]
Dimensions
MPO: 2.4 m × 2.2 m × 1.7 m (7 ft 10 in × 7 ft 3 in × 5 ft 7 in) Mio: 1.8 m × 1.1 m (5 ft 11 in × 3 ft 7 in) [1]
Power
MPO: 150 watts Mio: 90 watts
Start of mission
Launch date
20 October 2018, 01:45 UTC
Rocket
Ariane 5 ECA (VA245)[2]
Launch site
Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3[3]
Contractor
Arianespace
Flyby of Earth (gravity assist)
Closest approach
10 April 2020, 04:25 UTC
Distance
12,677 km (7,877 mi)
Flyby of Venus (gravity assist)
Closest approach
15 October 2020, 03:58 UTC
Distance
10,720 km (6,660 mi)
Flyby of Venus (gravity assist)
Closest approach
10 August 2021, 13:51 UTC
Distance
552 km (343 mi)
Flyby of Mercury (gravity assist)
Closest approach
1 October 2021, 23:34:41 UTC
Distance
199 km (124 mi)
Flyby of Mercury (gravity assist)
Closest approach
23 June 2022, 09:44 UTC
Distance
200 km (124.3 mi)
Flyby of Mercury (gravity assist)
Closest approach
19 June 2023, 19:34 UTC
Distance
236 km (147 mi)
Mercury orbiter
Spacecraft component
Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)
Orbital insertion
5 December 2025 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Perihermion altitude
480 km (300 mi)
Apohermion altitude
1,500 km (930 mi)
Inclination
90,0°
Mercury orbiter
Spacecraft component
Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO)
Orbital insertion
5 December 2025 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Perihermion altitude
590 km (370 mi)
Apohermion altitude
11,640 km (7,230 mi)
Inclination
90.0°
BepiColombo insignia
Horizon 2000 Plus
← LISA Pathfinder
CHEOPS →
BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury.[4] The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO).[5] 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[2] rocket on 20 October 2018 at 01:45 UTC, with an arrival at Mercury planned for on 5 December 2025, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury.[1][6] The mission was approved in November 2009, after years in proposal and planning as part of the European Space Agency's Horizon 2000+ programme;[7] it is the last mission of the programme to be launched.[8]
^ abcde"BepiColombo Factsheet". ESA. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
^ ab"BepiColombo's first image from space". ESA. 10 October 2018.
^"MIO/BepiColombo". JAXA. 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
^Amos, Jonathan (18 January 2008). "European probe aims for Mercury". BBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
^"MIO – Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter's New Name" (Press release). JAXA. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
^"BepiColombo Launch Rescheduled for October 2018". ESA. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
^"BepiColombo Overview". ESA. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference scaling back was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
the last mission of the programme to be launched. BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (1920–1984), a scientist, mathematician and engineer...
BepiColombo may refer to: Giuseppe 'Bepi' Colombo (1920–1984), an Italian scientist 10387 Bepicolombo, an asteroid named after BepiColombo BepiColombo...
flybys before entering orbit around Mercury. A third mission to Mercury, BepiColombo, a joint mission between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)...
test for the LISA mission. The mission ended on 30 December 2017. ESA's BepiColombo mission was launched to Mercury on 20 October 2018. It uses ion thrusters...
Bepi may refer to: × Brassoepidendrum, an orchid hybrid genus abbreviated Bepi. Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (1920–1984), Italian scientist Bepi, Zahedan,...
Bepicolombo may refer to: BepiColombo, a mission to Mercury launched in October 2018 10387 Bepicolombo, an asteroid Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo, an Italian...
and six times with Mercury. It will arrive in 2025. BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo who was a pioneer thinker with this way of maneuvers...
Ariane Flight VA245 is the Ariane 5 space launch of BepiColombo that took place on 20 October 2018 at 01:45:28 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre. It was...
October 2018, is named BepiColombo. The Colombo Gap in Saturn's rings. The asteroid 10387 Bepicolombo "Giuseppe BepiColombo Grandfather of the fly-by"...
technology from previous missions, such as the solar arrays from the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO). The solar arrays can be rotated about...
cloudtops. BepiColombo flew by Venus on October 15th, 2020. During its second flyby of Venus, which occurred August 10th 2021, BepiColombo came 552 km...
number Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, a component of the Mercury mapper BepiColombo Mini-Mag Orion, a proposed type of spacecraft propulsion Mixed metal...
campaign, facilitated the development of Gaia, LISA Pathfinder, and BepiColombo between 1995 and 2005. The programme's current campaign since 2005, Cosmic...
do tests of the strong equivalence principle. One of the goals of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury, is to test the general relativity theory by measuring...
2025, BepiColombo is to include two probes. BepiColombo is a joint mission between Japan and the European Space Agency. MESSENGER and BepiColombo are intended...
silent – space – 29 May 2010". New Scientist. Retrieved 20 August 2012. "BepiColombo flies by Venus en route to Mercury｜". European Space Agency. 15 October...
Curiosity rover Tianwen-1 Mars 2020 Perseverance rover Other planets BepiColombo Mercury Akatsuki Venus Juno Jupiter Juice Jupiter Minor planets Chang'e...
way, including NASA's Parker Solar Probe, and ESA's Solar Orbiter and BepiColombo. There are currently several probes under development as well as multiple...
System such as Cassini-Huygens (Saturn exploration), ExoMars (Mars), BepiColombo (Mercury), Solar Orbiter(Sun), NASA’ Orion probe (lunar exploration,...
Destination: Moon (in lunar orbit) Arrival: 8 May 2024 Institution: SUPARCO BepiColombo Mission: Spacecraft consists of the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), Mercury...
reemergence from behind Mercury. Solar system portal Spaceflight portal BepiColombo, a European-Japanese mission to Mercury which was launched on October...
NASA's Discovery 2019 competition for launch in the 2028–2030 time frame. BepiColombo, launched in 2018 to study Mercury, flew by Venus on October 15, 2020...
Curiosity rover Tianwen-1 Mars 2020 Perseverance rover Other planets BepiColombo Mercury Akatsuki Venus Juno Jupiter Juice Jupiter Minor planets Chang'e...
killed more than 2,200 people since August 2018. The ESA/JAXA space probe BepiColombo makes its final gravity assist around Earth and begins to depart for...
to lower perihelion for solar observation. Delta IV Heavy/Star 48BV BepiColombo 20 October 2018 ESA Gravity assist Successful Flybys on 15 October 2020...
Schmidt 2010, p. 9–16 Killen, 2007, p. 448 Benkhoff, Johannes (2010). "BepiColombo—Comprehensive exploration of Mercury: Mission overview and science goals"...
rover – NASA rover to Mars Akatsuki – JAXA satellite orbiting Venus BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA) STEREO – NASA mission to observe the Sun Parker Solar Probe...
Global Information
