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 process. The spacecraft will separate its transfer module, a risky maneuver described as equivalent to launching a new spacecraft. The mission, launched in October 2018, traveled over 10 billion kilometers using electric propulsion and nine planetary flybys to match Mercury's velocity. Two orbiters, the MPO and MIO, will enter orbit around the planet on November 21 and begin science operations in April. Mercury's extreme heat, with surface temperatures reaching 430 degrees Celsius, makes exploration challenging. The orbiters will study the planet's density, magnetic field, and mysterious surface hollows, aiming to answer questions about its formation and evolution.