BepiColombo arrives at Mercury after 8-year journey

The BepiColombo mission, a joint European-Japanese project, arrives at Mercury on Thursday after nearly eight years, beginning a complex orbital insertion to study the least explored inner planet. Launched in October 2018, the spacecraft traveled over 10 billion kilometers using electric propulsion and nine flybys. The Mercury Transfer Module will separate from the two science orbiters Thursday, a risky operation ESA compares to launching a new spacecraft. The orbiters will enter Mercury's orbit on Nov. 21 and begin full science operations in April, mapping the planet's surface, magnetic field, and exosphere. Scientists hope to investigate mysterious surface hollows and the planet's unusually high density.