BepiColombo spacecraft begins risky arrival at Mercury after eight-year journey

The European-Japanese BepiColombo spacecraft began its high-risk arrival phase at Mercury on Thursday after an eight-year journey, initiating the separation of its two probes for a planned November orbit entry. The spacecraft autonomously detached its two attached probes from the transfer module, a critical step executed without real-time ground control due to a 30-minute communication delay. The separation succeeded, with confirmation received at the Darmstadt control center nearly two hours later. Mercury is the least studied rocky planet, with mysteries remaining about its magnetic field and iron core. The probes will enter orbit on Nov. 21, with scientific operations beginning in April from as close as 480 kilometers above the surface.