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Animation visualising BepiColombo flying by Venus. The spacecraft will make two gravity assist flybys of Venus to set it on course to Mercury: one on 15 October 2020, and the second in August 2021. It made an Earth flyby 10 April 2020 and will also fly by Mercury six times before entering orbit in December 2025.
The joint ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission comprises the European Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. They are transported to the innermost planet by the Mercury Transfer Module. The two orbiters will be able to operate some of their instruments during the planetary flybys, affording unique science opportunities. The monitoring cameras onboard the transfer module will also capture images during the journey to Mercury.
More information: esa.int/bepicolombo
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