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BepiColombo

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

An artist's drawing of the BepiColombo spacecraft from NASA's mission to study the planet Mercury, showing the two orbiters and a sunshade module.

BepiColombo

BepiColombo is a special space mission to study the planet Mercury. It is a teamwork project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The mission has two satellites that fly together to learn about Mercury’s magnetic field and its inside.

The mission started when it was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket in October 2018. Before reaching Mercury, it flew by Earth, Venus, and Mercury several times. It is planned to enter Mercury’s orbit in November 2026.

BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo, a smart scientist, mathematician, and engineer from Italy. He helped plan a space travel method used by a mission long ago.

One of the satellites, called Mio, means a waterway in Japanese. It stands for the steps taken to build the spacecraft and hopes for a safe journey. Mio will travel through the solar wind like a ship moving through the ocean.

The mission will help scientists understand how Mercury formed and what it is made of. The two satellites carry special tools to explore Mercury’s inside and map its gravity and magnetic fields.

Images

An image of the planet Mercury taken by a space probe, showing its cratered surface and parts of the spacecraft.
The Mercury Transfer Module, a spacecraft designed to carry orbiters to Mercury, undergoes testing inside a large space simulator to prepare for its journey through extreme temperatures of space.
The BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module inside the European Space Research and Technology Centre, ready for its journey to Mercury.
A close-up view of the thrusters on the BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module, showing parts of the spacecraft designed for space travel.
A spacecraft being prepared for a space mission inside a testing chamber.
Engineers test the BepiColombo spacecraft inside a special chamber to ensure it can withstand space conditions. The spacecraft is tilted to simulate different positions during its journey to Mercury.
A radiator panel and scientific instruments on the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter, designed to protect the spacecraft from extreme heat during its mission around the planet Mercury.
A spacecraft called BepiColombo being prepared for its journey to the planet Mercury in a laboratory.
A model of the BepiColombo spacecraft at a European space research center.
Animation showing the journey of the BepiColombo spacecraft as it travels from Earth to Mercury through space.
Animation showing the path of the BepiColombo spacecraft as it orbits the planet Mercury.

Related articles

Mercury (planet)
European Space Agency
JAXA
Ariane 5
Earth
Venus

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on BepiColombo, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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