Mercury, BepiColombo

Scientists explain why BepiColombo’s mission to Mercury is so tricky
Reaching Mercury is such a challenge because “the gravitational pull of the Sun is very strong near Mercury, which makes it difficult for spacecraft to slow down enough to enter orbit around the planet,” explains Lina Hadid, staff scientist at CNRS in France and principal investigator of one of BepiColombo’s instruments.
See the amazing images of Mercury captured by the BepiColombo mission
The European Space Agency (ESA)’s BepiColombo mission has made another flyby of Mercury, capturing fascinating images of this lesser-studied inner planet. On January 8, 2025, the spacecraft made its sixth flyby of the small planet located close to the sun, taking advantage of the planet’s gravity to adjust its course so it can enter orbit in 2026.
Spacecraft captures high-def images of Mercury during very close flyby
A spacecraft named BepiColombo is currently zipping by planet Mercury, making a very close flyby and snapping incredible high-def photos.
Stunning Close-Up Images Reveal Mercury’s Icy Craters and Volcanic Plains
In a thrilling close approach, the BepiColombo mission captured its final, stunning images of Mercury before its orbit insertion in 2026. Revealing icy craters and expansive volcanic plains, these pho
BepiColombo's close encounter reveals Mercury's icy secrets
This is already the sixth mission of the BepiColombo probe in Mercury's orbit. This time, it approached the most minor planet in the Solar System to a distance of just 295 kilometres. Closer looks at the icy craters are impressive.
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See Mercury's frigid north pole in extraordinary new images from the BepiColombo spacecraft
European mission to Mercury just made its sixth flyby of the planet, revealing stunning close-ups of the permanently shadowed ...
In Photos: See Mercury’s Craters In Rare Close-Ups After Final Flyby
The BepiColombo spacecraft has sent back three images of Mercury after a brief flyby of the planet on Jan. 8, 2025.
Mercury stuns in incredibly detailed new images
The BepiColombo spacecraft has sent back some incredibly detailed images of Mercury’s north pole. The snapshots were ...
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New, Stunning Images of Mercury’s North Pole Will Help Scientists Study the Planet’s Mysterious Permanent Shadows
The BepiColombo spacecraft captured the photographs during its last flyby of Mercury, a maneuver necessary to propel the ...
Mysterious Mercury Stars In Majestic New BepiColombo Spacecraft Images
Enigmatic planet Mercury posed for some closeups when the BepiColombo mission flew by. Craters, bright regions and volcanic ...
In pictures: Mercury spacecraft captures stunning new images of one of the least explored planets
The joint European-Japanese mission is only the second survey of Mercury, the least explored planet in the inner solar system ...
New Scientist2d
The physicist on a mission to understand Mercury's epic solar storms
Suzie Imber is a co-investigator for the BepiColombo mission, currently on its way to Mercury. She explains how it will cast ...
Spacecraft Captures Spectacularly Detailed Images of Mercury’s Hidden Surface
The BepiColombo mission successfully completed its sixth flyby of the innermost planet, moving closer to its final goal of ...
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See: Incredible New Photos Of Mercury
The BepiColombo spacecraft has captured stunning new closeup images of Mercury's alien surface, from its icy craters to its sun-baked plains.