BepiColombo: ESA Mission Reaches Key Milestone on Mercury Approach
European Space Agency spacecraft BepiColombo stands on the verge of entering Mercury orbit after an eight-year journey, facing extreme solar radiation and temperatures reaching 450 degrees Celsius, according to mission officials. The complex arrival sequence begins when the spacecraft splits in two to shield instruments and initiate braking maneuvers against intense solar gravity. BepiColombo Separation … Read more