Европейско-японская миссия к Меркурию "БепиКоломбо"

European–Japanese satellites heading to Mercury

BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The mission will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. It was launched on an Ariane 5 The mission was approved in November 2009, after years in proposal and planning as part of the European Space Agency's Horizon 2000+ programme; it is the last mission of the programme to be launched.

The mission involves three components, which will separate into independent spacecraft upon arrival at Mercury. Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) for propulsion, built by ESA. Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) built by ESA. Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) or Mio built by JAXA. During the launch and cruise phases, these three components are joined together to form the Mercury Cruise System (MCS). The prime contractor for ESA is Airbus Defence and Space. ESA is responsible for the overall mission, the design, development assembly and test of the propulsion and MPO modules, and the launch. The two orbiters, which are operated by mission controllers based in Darmstadt, Germany, were successfully launched together on 20 October 2018. The launch took place on Ariane flight VA245 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The spacecraft will have a seven year interplanetary cruise to Mercury using solar electric propulsion (ion thrusters) and gravity assists from Earth, Venus and eventual gravity capture at Mercury. The mission will also complete gravitational and magnetic field mappings. Russia provided gamma ray and neutron spectrometers to verify the existence of water ice in polar craters that are permanently in shadow from the Sun's rays. Mercury is too small and hot for its gravity to retain any significant atmosphere over long periods of time, but it has a "tenuous surface bounded exosphere" containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and other trace elements. Its exosphere is not stable as atoms are continuously lost and replenished from a variety of sources. The mission will study the exosphere composition and dynamics, including generation and escape.

The stacked spacecraft will take seven years to position itself to enter Mercury orbit. During this time it will use solar electric propulsion and nine gravity assists, flying past the Earth and Moon in April 2020, Venus in 2020 and 2021, and six Mercury flybys between 2021 and 2025.

The BepiColombo mission proposal was selected by ESA in 2000. A request for proposals for the science payload was issued in 2004. In 2007, Astrium was selected as the prime contractor, and Ariane 5 chosen as the launch vehicle.

The Mercury Surface Element (MSE) was cancelled in 2003 due to budgetary constraints. At the time of cancellation, MSE was meant to be a small, , lander designed to operate for about one week on the surface of Mercury.