BepiColombo begins risky arrival at Mercury after eight-year journey

A European-Japanese spacecraft mission, BepiColombo, began its high-risk arrival phase at Mercury on Thursday after an eight-year journey, aiming to study the Sun-scorched planet. The European Space Agency called it its most operationally challenging planetary arrival sequence ever attempted. The mission, launched from Earth in 2018, will release two probes into Mercury's orbit to study the smallest and least understood planet in our Solar System. The arrival phase will last several months, with the spacecraft navigating a complex path around the planet. BepiColombo is a joint project between the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The mission aims to gather data on Mercury's composition, geology, and magnetic field to better understand the planet's formation and evolution.