Overview
- The Mercury Transfer Module is scheduled to separate from the two science orbiters on Thursday, Sept. 3, starting a timed sequence of signal checks and thruster burns managed by ESA and JAXA teams.
- Mission controllers expect to establish radio contact with the newly free-flying MPO and Mio within hours of separation while MPO’s chemical thrusters steer the linked stack toward Mercury capture.
- The linked orbiters are slated for gravity capture by Mercury on Nov. 21, with MPO planned to release Mio into its highly elliptical orbit on Dec. 9–10 and reach MPO’s final orbit by March 10, 2027.
- BepiColombo recovered from a prior power-related glitch that delayed its arrival and now faces harsh conditions at Mercury, where temperatures range roughly from −180°C to +450°C and solar radiation can be up to ten times Earth levels.
- Once separated and in place, the two spacecraft will map Mercury’s surface composition, probe its interior to test for a molten core, and study the planet’s magnetic field and exosphere, starting coordinated science operations in April 2027.