Space probe sends new images of Mercury
The "BepiColombo" spacecraft has sped past Mercury for the second time and has sent new images. / Space probe sends new images of Mercury
Space probe sends new images of Mercury / However, she has not yet reached her destination.
More than three years after its launch, the “BepiColombo” spacecraft has sped past its eventual destination, Mercury, for the second time. Everything went well, said the head of ESA mission operations in the control center in Darmstadt, Simon Plum. The probe also took snapshots as it flew around the innermost planet in our solar system.
The plan was to let the probe fly past Mercury at an altitude of around 200 kilometers. Before the spaceship 2025, which is controlled from the control center in Darmstadt, finally reaches its orbit, it has to fly past the planet a total of six times and thus be slowed down. The reason is the enormous gravitational pull of the sun.
Flights past planets that are calculated years in advance required precise navigation in space, ESA said on Twitter. “Distance, angle and speed must be exactly right so that the satellite changes its orbit as desired when passing the planet,” it continues.
Hello again Mercury!
Here's a first look from today's #MercuryFlyby capturing such an amazing array of the planet's rich geological features 🤩https://t.co/hC6TfMmCy1#ExploreFarther pic.twitter.com/7WkYiGU0Kp
— Bepi (@ESA_Bepi) June 23, 2022
In 2025, “BepiColombo” is to examine the surface of Mercury / New images of Mercury
The “BepiColombo” space probe was launched in October 2018 on its seven-year journey to the planet closest to the sun. With two satellites on board, it is scheduled to examine the surface and magnetic field of the celestial body from December 2025.
The European-Japanese joint project with a total cost of around two billion euros is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the origins of the solar system.
Last year, “BepiColombo” radioed the first images from the planet Mercury to Earth. They showed a surface reminiscent of our moon. At that time, the probe flew past Mercury at an altitude of 199 kilometers.
Since “BepiColombo” arrived on the night side of the planet, the conditions were “not ideal” for taking pictures at close range, ESA explained. Therefore, the next picture was taken from a distance of about a thousand kilometers.
