BepiColombo spacecraft begins final approach to Mercury

The BepiColombo mission, a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has successfully completed a critical separation maneuver after an eight-year journey. On September 3, 2026, the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) successfully detached from the two scientific orbiters: the European Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Japanese Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio).

This high-risk operation marks the beginning of the final approach phase toward Mercury. The spacecraft has traveled over 10 billion kilometers, utilizing nine planetary flybys to adjust its velocity for orbital insertion. The mission aims to study the planet's surface, magnetic field, and internal structure to better understand its formation and evolution.

The two orbiters are expected to enter Mercury's orbit in November 2026. Following this, they will separate from each other in December to begin independent scientific observations, with the MPO scheduled to start its detailed surface mapping in early 2027.