The BepiColombo spacecraft successfully performed its sixth flyby of Mercury on January 8, using the planet’s gravitational pull to alter its course. The joint ESA-JAXA mission aims to study Mercury’s composition and will bring the vehicle into orbit around the planet by 2026.
The BepiColombo spacecraft consists of two probes: an orbiter and a magnetospheric orbiter. When it approaches Mercury again, the vehicle will separate, and the probes will head for their dedicated polar orbits. The scientific work is scheduled to begin in early 2027, focusing on how Mercury was formed and whether some craters contain water ice.
Three new images taken by the BepiColombo spacecraft during its most recent flyby have been released. The images show Mercury’s crater-filled surface, with large regions smooth due to lava flows from past volcanic eruptions. One image highlights the Caloris Basin, the largest impact structure in the solar system. Another shows a bright spot on the surface, which is believed to be the result of the most significant volcanic eruption.
Contrary to initial appearances, Mercury’s surface reflects only two-thirds of the light reflected by our moon. Younger formations on its surface appear lighter due to material from the planet’s interior reaching the surface over time. The BepiColombo mission aims to study the composition of these erupted materials to better understand Mercury’s composition.
The images provide valuable insights into Mercury’s geology and will be studied in more detail as part of the scientific work scheduled for 2027.
Source: https://www.wired.com/gallery/images-of-mercury-bepicolombo-mission