Europe's first mission to Mercury has officially launched - Earth.com

Europe's first mission to Mercury has officially launched

10-21-2018


Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency (ESA) shows the launch of BepiColombo from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on October 20, 2018.

The BepiColombo mission is carrying two satellites developed by the ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to Mercury, the smallest and least explored planet of the inner Solar System.

The project is designed to study all aspects of Mercury, such as the structure of its magnetosphere and how it interacts with solar wind. Observations will also allow scientists to analyze the planet’s inner structure including its large iron core.

Bepicolombo can withstand temperatures of up to 450 degrees Celsius, and is one of the most scientifically complex missions in history.

 

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: European Space Agency

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