BepiColombo begins high-risk arrival at Mercury after eight-year journey

The European-Japanese BepiColombo mission begins a high-risk arrival phase at Mercury after an eight-year journey, with critical operations ahead. The dual spacecraft faces extreme temperatures and intense solar radiation during orbital insertion. The first crucial step occurs Thursday at 14:00 HB when the two attached probes separate from the transfer module that propelled them. ESA operations manager Ignacio Tanco called it "the equivalent of a launch," occurring 63 million km from the Sun and 200 million km from Earth. Mercury experiences temperatures ranging from -180°C to 450°C, making the arrival particularly perilous. The mission aims to study the smallest and least understood planet in the Solar System.