BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA)
After eight years in space, BepiColombo enters orbit around Mercury on 21 November 2026, the first mission to put two spacecraft there (ESA).
Image: NASA/JHUAPL/Carnegie Institution (MESSENGER).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun.
- BepiColombo is really two spacecraft that rode there together for eight years.
- In 2026 they start circling Mercury to learn what it is made of.
The Five W's of BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA)
Who
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Source: ESA, Latest updates: BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury
What
Two science orbiters: ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter and JAXA's Mio, which studies Mercury's magnetic field.
Source: NASA Science, BepiColombo
When
Launched in October 2018; The curved path an object takes as it travels around a planet, moon or star, like a satellite circling Earth. Glossary insertion is planned for 21 November 2026 and science for April 2027.
Source: ESA, Latest updates: BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury
Where
Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.
Source: ESA, Latest updates: BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury
Why
Mercury's large iron core and magnetic field hold clues to how rocky planets like Earth formed.
Source: NASA Science, BepiColombo
Impact Statement
Agency solution · active
BepiColombo will be the first mission to orbit Mercury with two spacecraft at once, measuring the surface, interior and magnetic field from different vantage points.
Source: ESA, Latest updates: BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury
For Further Information: ESA, Latest updates: BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury
In late 2026, BepiColombo becomes the first mission to put two spacecraft in orbit around Mercury.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Understanding how the Sun's wind hits a small planet's magnetic field helps scientists understand the space weather that reaches Earth.
Source: NASA Science, BepiColombo
For Nature
Comparing Mercury with Earth shows what makes our own planet's magnetic shield and climate so special.
Source: NASA Science, BepiColombo
Want to go deeper? ESA has live updates on the arrival.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
More solutions like this one, matched by meaning.
For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA), and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA), and where does the work happen?
- How does BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA) help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA). https://www.savingplanets.com/BepiColombo.html
MLA
"BepiColombo (ESA / JAXA)." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/BepiColombo.html.