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Joined European-Japanese mission to the planet tiniest, Mercury, blasted off from Guiana on its long journey tonight (Oct. 19, Oct. 20 GMT).
That mission, BepiColombo, will spend seven years in the future, where it will be divided into two spaces and orbit. Mercury for a year – or two, if the mission is extended. The measurements taken there could not only solve the problems of the planet, but also the formation of our solar system and neighboring ones. The whole mission costs the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) almost $ 2 billion, according to press reports.
"It's a really great day," ESA Director General Jan Woerner said after the launch. "Let us go to Mercury Go, Bepi, go!"
An Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA rocket carrying the pared spacecraft at 9:45 pm EDT (0145 GMT, Oct. 20) from Kourou, French Guiana. About 26 minutes later, the spacecraft, 40 minutes after launch, as scheduled. [Most Enduring Mysteries of Mercury]
An Ariane 5 rocket launches the European-Japanese BepiColombo mission to Mercury from Europe's Spaceport at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on Oct. 19, 2018. Credit: ESA-CNES-Arianespace
Now, scientists have to wait seven years before the second spacecraft that make up BepiColombo reach Mercury and separate to begin observations of the tiny, strange planet in December 2025.
But that's not to say they'll be twiddling their thumbs: BepiColombo has a few tasks to tackle, even as it makes the long trek to Mercury. As it travels, one instrument on board will be making the most accurate measurements of Mercury's and Earth's orbits around the sun. Einstein's theory of general relativity. Einstein's theory of general relativity.
The joined spacecraft will also be making a series of flybys – one of Earth, two of Venus and six of Mercury. That's why it's going to be so long, but it's necessary in order to be able to counter the huge gravity of the world. So, along the way, scientists will use the flybys as well as the opportunity to test the instruments on board.
Then finally, in December 2025, BepiColombo will split into its two components, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter built by the European Space Agency and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
An artist's illustration of the stack BepiColombo spacecraft built by Europe and Japan and their transfer module as they arrive at Mercury. The mission will arrive at Mercury in December 2025.
Credit: Spacecraft: ESA / ATG medialab; Mercury: NASA / JPL
These spacecraft will become the first to study Mercury since the only previous orbiter, NASA's MESSENGER, ended its mission in 2015 after four years at the tiny planet.
The two BepiColombo spacecraft will work in tandem for a year to study every aspect of Mercury, from the depths of its core to the wispy, would-be atmosphere that surrounds the planet.
Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Original article on Space.com.
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