Science – BepiColombo probe takes snapshots of Mercury – Wikipedia

DARMSTADT (DPA) – The “BepiColombo” space probe captured black-and-white snapshots of the innermost planet from the solar system as it flew past Mercury on Thursday.

Images transmitted by the European Space Agency (ESA) on Friday show a section of Mercury’s surface covered in impact craters. The probe, launched in October 2018, passed Mercury for the second time in its seven-year journey on Thursday. It is controlled from the Esa Control Center in Darmstadt.

“BepiColombo” has to overtake the planet six times and thus slow down its speed. The reason is the massive gravitational pull of the sun. With two satellites on board, the probe is set to examine the surface and magnetic field of the celestial body from December 2025. The European-Japanese joint project with a total cost of about €2 billion aims to contribute to a better understanding of the origins of the solar system.

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