BepiColombo begins its approach to Mercury after eight-year journey

The European-Japanese space mission BepiColombo has begun its approach to Mercury after eight years in space, successfully completing a high-risk maneuver that prompted celebration at the European Space Agency (ESA) in Darmstadt, Germany. The probe has traveled over ten billion kilometers to reach this point. The two spacecraft separated from their carrier module as planned, beginning a months-long approach phase involving several risky maneuvers. Mission flight control team leader Elsa Montagnon called it "the best scenario we could have wished for," comparing the operation to a successful launch. Mercury, the least explored planet, was 200 million kilometers from Earth on Thursday. The spacecraft are scheduled to enter Mercury's orbit on November 21, with the ESA and Japanese probes separating on December 9-10 to study the planet's surface and magnetic environment. The 1.7 billion euro mission, named after mathematician Giuseppe Colombo, aims to provide unprecedented insights into Mercury's iron core and cratered surface, following only two previous NASA missions.