BepiColombo closes in on Mercury with dual-orbiter study after an eight-year voyage

After an eight-year voyage using electric propulsion and gravity assists, the ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission is set to place two independent orbiters, MPO and MIO, around Mercury to map the planet, study its magnetic environment and exosphere, and test ideas about Mercury’s formation and high density. The Mercury Transfer Module will separate from the science stack, with orbital capture occurring over the coming months and science operations beginning in April, marking the first-ever dual-orbiter mission around a planet.