European space probe flies past Mercury for the first time

The European space probe BepiColombo has passed the planet Mercury for the first time. That happened in the night from Friday to Saturday, reports the European space agency ESA. Pictures were also taken of the planet when the probe flew a thousand kilometers away from Mercury. At its closest point, the probe flew 200 kilometers from Mercury.

The purpose of the space mission, set up by the ESA in collaboration with Japan, is to collect data on the origin and composition of Mercury. With this, the researchers hope to learn more about the smallest planet in the solar system, which is also the closest to the sun. The probe consists of a European and a Japanese satellite and was launched in 2018.

Hand in hand, Japan and Europe go to Mercury

To reach Mercury, the Sun’s gravity must be taken into account. In its efforts to get closer and closer, the spacecraft flies past the planet six times. The flight in the night from Friday to Saturday was the first of these so-called flyby’s. The probe will pass the planet for the second time in June 2022.

The probe is scheduled to enter stable orbit and land by 2025. The two satellites on the probe will split at that time for different studies. Before the current flight past Mercury, the BepiColombo flew once past Earth and twice past Venus.

Correction (October 2, 2021): An earlier version of this article stated that the BepiColombo will collect surface material. However, the BepiColombo will not land on the planet.

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