The Mission - BepiColombo
A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLORATION OF MERCURY
BepiColombo is Europe's first mission to Mercury. It will launch in October 2018 on a journey to the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in our Solar System.
Arriving at Mercury in December 2025, it will endure temperatures in excess of 350°C and gather data during a 1 year nominal mission.
The mission comprises two spacecraft:
BepiColombo is a joint mission between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), executed under ESA leadership.