Tag

Bepicolombo

All articles tagged with #bepicolombo

space17 days ago•11 min saved

Mercury’s capture paradox: BepiColombo’s gravity-assisted march to orbit

Mercury’s strong solar gravity makes orbital capture energy-intensive; a direct trip to Mercury would require enormous propellant, so BepiColombo used an eight-year path of gravity assists (nine flybys across Earth, Venus and Mercury) plus solar-electric propulsion to gradually shed energy and enable Mercury orbit insertion in November 2026. After arrival, two science orbiters will study Mercury’s environment, showing that stopping in the inner Solar System can be harder than simply getting there.

via Space Daily|

#bepicolombo #gravity-assist #mercury

space1 month ago•10 min saved

Mercury’s Polar Ice: How Billions of Tonnes Stay Frozen in Eternal Shadow

Mercury can reach about 430°C in sunlit areas, but its poles host billions of tonnes of water ice tucked in permanently shadowed craters. The planet’s near-absence of atmosphere and the geometry of crater shadows keep these deposits cold and insulated, so they persist rather than melt. The ice is likely delivered by comets, water-rich asteroids, or solar-wind interactions over time, not formed in place. MESSENGER measurements suggest a mass range from about 20 billion to 1 trillion tonnes, and the upcoming BepiColombo mission should refine these figures. The ice is better viewed as a frozen archive of volatile delivery rather than a subsurface ocean.

via Space Daily|

#bepicolombo #mercury #messenger

science1 month ago•12 min saved

BepiColombo set to enter Mercury orbit after eight-year slow cruise

After eight years of a slow, gravity-assisted cruise powered by ion propulsion, the European-Japanese BepiColombo spacecraft will enter Mercury’s orbit in November 2026—Mercury’s third close visit and second orbiter. The arrival is gradual due to a prior thruster issue fixed in 2024, and the two orbiters will then separate to study Mercury’s surface/interior and magnetic environment, with full science operations expected to begin in 2027.

via Space Daily|

#bepicolombo #ion-propulsion #mercury

science8 months ago•14 min saved

The Enigma of Mercury's Existence

Mercury's unusual characteristics and orbit challenge current understanding of planet formation, with theories including giant impacts and migration. The upcoming BepiColombo mission aims to uncover its origins by studying its surface and internal structure, potentially solving one of the Solar System's biggest mysteries.

via BBC|

#bepicolombo #mercury #planet-formation

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Scientists May Have Discovered Earth's Mercury Pieces, Solving a Longstanding Mystery

Scientists may have identified the first pieces of Mercury on Earth through two meteorites, offering new insights into the planet's composition and history, with further confirmation expected from the upcoming BepiColombo mission.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#bepicolombo #mercury #meteorites

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Unraveling Mercury's Twisted Surface and Tectonic Mysteries

Recent research suggests that the twisted and fractured surface of Mercury may be significantly shaped by the Sun's tidal forces, rather than solely by cooling and contraction, with upcoming data from the BepiColombo mission expected to shed more light on these planetary processes.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#bepicolombo #mercury #planetary-geology

science1 year ago•4 min saved

BepiColombo Unveils Mercury's Surface in Unprecedented Infrared Clarity

The BepiColombo mission, a collaboration between ESA and JAXA, has provided groundbreaking insights into Mercury's surface through its fifth flyby, using mid-infrared imaging technology. This marks the first time Mercury has been observed in this spectrum, revealing details about its surface composition, temperature, and roughness. The MERTIS instrument played a key role, offering new data on geological features like the Caloris Basin and Bashō Crater. The mission, which began in 2018, is set to enter Mercury's orbit in 2026, promising further discoveries.

via The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel|

#bepicolombo #esa #infrared-imaging

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Infrared Imaging Unveils Mercury's Surface Secrets

The BepiColombo spacecraft's fifth flyby of Mercury has provided groundbreaking mid-infrared images, revealing new details about the planet's surface temperature, roughness, and mineral composition. Using the Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (MERTIS), scientists observed features like the Bashō Crater, offering insights into Mercury's global surface mineralogy. These observations, despite BepiColombo's delayed arrival in Mercury's orbit, promise a deeper understanding of the planet's geology.

via Gizmodo|

#bepicolombo #infrared-imaging #mercury

science-and-exploration1 year ago•6 min saved

BepiColombo Sheds New Light on Mercury's Mysteries

BepiColombo, a joint mission by ESA and JAXA, conducted its fifth flyby of Mercury on December 1, 2024, becoming the first spacecraft to capture mid-infrared images of the planet. These images, taken by the MERTIS instrument, reveal variations in temperature and composition across Mercury's surface, offering new insights into its mineralogy. The mission, which aims to enter Mercury's orbit in 2026, is expected to provide a detailed global map of the planet's surface minerals, enhancing our understanding of its unique characteristics.

via European Space Agency|

#bepicolombo #mercury #mertis

space1 year ago•2 min saved

BepiColombo's Penultimate Mercury Flyby Captures Stunning Image

The BepiColombo probe, a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), completed its fifth flyby of Mercury, capturing a striking image of the planet. This flyby, part of a series of gravity assists, utilized the Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (MERTIS) for the first time to study Mercury's surface composition. Launched in 2018, BepiColombo is set to enter Mercury's orbit in November 2026, where it will separate into two orbiters to conduct detailed studies of the planet.

via Space.com|

#bepicolombo #esa #jaxa

science1 year ago•2 min saved

BepiColombo's Penultimate Flyby Reveals Stunning Mercury Image

The BepiColombo probe, a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), completed its fifth flyby of Mercury, capturing a striking image of the planet. This flyby, part of a series of gravity assists, was the first to utilize the Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (MERTIS) to study the planet's surface composition. Launched in 2018, BepiColombo is set to enter Mercury's orbit in November 2026, where it will separate into two orbiters to conduct detailed studies.

via Yahoo! Voices|

#bepicolombo #esa #jaxa

space-science2 years ago•1 min saved

Mysterious Venus: Unexplained Leaks of Carbon and Oxygen

Scientists are puzzled by the unusual activity on Venus, where gases including carbon and oxygen are being ejected into space at high speeds, possibly due to an "induced magnetosphere" formed by charged solar winds. The BepiColombo space mission observed this phenomenon, which could provide crucial insights into Venus's evolution. Unlike Earth, Venus lacks a protective magnetic field, allowing its atmosphere to be stripped away. This discovery sheds light on the planet's history and its transformation from a potentially Earth-like environment to the scorching world it is today.

via Geo News|

#atmospheric-phenomena #bepicolombo #solar-system

space-science2 years ago•3 min saved

Mystery of Venus' Leaking Carbon and Oxygen

The BepiColombo spacecraft has detected carbon and oxygen leaking from Venus, adding to previous findings on the loss of hydrogen and potentially providing clues to the planet's transformation from a temperate world to a scorching, acidic environment. The discovery, made during flybys of Venus, suggests that the planet's atmosphere has evolved and lost its water over time. With limited in-situ information about Venus, upcoming missions aim to study its escape mechanisms, volcanic activity, and potential for life, shedding light on its historical evolution.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrophysics #bepicolombo #planetary-atmosphere

space-science2 years ago•2 min saved

"Unraveling the Mystery of Venus's Escaping Carbon and Oxygen"

Data from the BepiColombo space probe indicates that Venus is losing carbon and oxygen from its atmosphere due to the escape of charged particles accelerated by sunlight. The lack of a stable magnetic field on Venus allows these ions to escape into space, shedding light on the planet's fragile magnetic environment. Understanding the mechanisms behind this atmospheric loss is crucial for comprehending Venus' evolution and the depletion of its water. This research could pave the way for future missions to Venus, including the upcoming Envision spacecraft and the delayed NASA's DAVINCI and VERITAS missions.

via Livescience.com|

#atmosphere #bepicolombo #ion-escape

space-science2 years ago•2 min saved

"BepiColombo's Startling Discovery: Venus's Leaking Carbon and Oxygen Revealed"

Data from the BepiColombo space probe's flyby of Venus reveals that the planet is losing carbon and oxygen from its atmosphere due to the escape of charged particles accelerated by sunlight. Venus lacks a stable magnetic field, allowing its atmosphere to be stripped away, and understanding this process is crucial for comprehending the planet's atmospheric evolution and water loss. BepiColombo's findings could provide valuable insights into Venus' fragile magnetic environment, while upcoming missions to Venus, such as Europe's Envision and NASA's DAVINCI and VERITAS, aim to further explore the planet.

via Space.com|

#atmosphere #bepicolombo #ion-escape