BepiColombo Mission Adjusts Trajectory to Mercury After Thruster Issue

ESA and JAXA's spacecraft will now arrive at Mercury in November 2026, nearly a year later than planned, following an electric propulsion glitch.

BepiColombo experienced a thruster problem in April 2024, reducing its electric propulsion power.
ESA engineers devised a new trajectory to compensate for the reduced thrust, delaying orbital insertion by 11 months.
The fourth flyby on September 4 will bring BepiColombo closer to Mercury than originally planned, at just 165 km from the surface.
This flyby will be the first to capture images of Mercury's poles and test several scientific instruments.
Despite the delay, the mission's scientific objectives remain intact, with full operations expected after orbital insertion.