[ad_1]
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO ">
Credit: ESA / BepiColombo / MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Unusual view of part of the BepiColombo spacecraft stack, taken by one of the surveillance cameras (or "selfie-cams") attached to the mercury transfer module, MTM. The camera looks up at the solar panel reader (top left) and the rear side of the solar panel closest to the "body" of the spaceship module. The image was taken at the end of September as part of preparations for the launch of the European Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana.
MTM is equipped with three surveillance cameras, which provide black and white snapshots with a resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels. One of the surveillance cameras is positioned on the MTM with a field of view, as shown in this image, looking up at the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (DFO), located above. The solar panels of the MTM are currently folded for launch, which gives the image presented, but after their deployment, the camera will have a sharper view. In particular, the DFO high gain antenna will be in the field of view of the camera about a day after its launch.
The other two cameras are placed on the other side of the module: one will look at the extended solar panel of the MTM, the other towards the MPO, to capture the antenna once deployed, then the magnetometer pole. . Click here for a diagram showing the positions and examples of view fields from each of the cameras.
The effective deployment of the solar panels and antenna will be confirmed by the telemetry data sent by the spacecraft after launch (click here for a timeline of activities immediately after launch). Later, the surveillance cameras will be on. The first series of images should be taken about 12 hours and a day and a half after launch and returned to Earth shortly thereafter.
Surveillance cameras will be used punctually during the cruise phase, especially during overflights of the Earth, Venus and Mercury.
Although the DFO is equipped with a high-resolution scientific camera, this one can only be used after the separation of the MTM upon its arrival at Mercury late 2025 because, like many of the 11 suites of instruments, it is located on the side of the spacecraft attached to the MTM during the cruise. Nevertheless, it will be possible to use partially or in all up to eight of the eleven DFO instruments during overflights, as well as three of the five sets of instruments on board the magnetospheric orbiter at Mercury of the JAXA. This will provide unique opportunities for data collection at Venus, for example.
BepiColombo is a joint venture of ESA and JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. This is the first European mission on Mercury, the smallest and least explored planet of the internal solar system, and the first to send two spacecraft to perform complementary measurements of the dynamic environment of the planet.
Explore further:
Video: BepiColombo mission to Mercury
Source link
