BepiColombo completes critical separation maneuver at Mercury

The European-Japanese BepiColombo mission successfully completed its critical separation maneuver, detaching its propulsion module after eight years of flight, bringing the probe on track to explore Mercury. The operation, previously deemed a high-risk milestone, was confirmed via live broadcast from the ESA control center in Darmstadt. The two orbiters aboard are now heading toward their planned trajectories around Mercury, the least explored planet in the inner solar system. The 1.7 billion euro mission aims to study Mercury's magnetic field, surface, core, and gas envelope, with scientists noting many open questions remain. The separation was a one-chance operation, with signals taking over eleven minutes each way, requiring months of scenario training. The probe now free-falls toward Mercury, facing risks from solar gravity and extreme temperatures, with orbit insertion planned for December and March, and scientific work starting in April.