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BepiColombo Launch

Discussion in 'General Astronomy Chat' started by Mak the Night, Oct 19, 2018.

BepiColombo Launch

Started by Mak the Night on Oct 19, 2018 at 8:14 PM

10 Replies 784 Views 1 Likes

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  1. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 19, 2018
    #1
    BepiColombo is the first European mission to Mercury, the smallest and least explored planet in the inner Solar System. It is the first Mercury mission to send two science orbiters to make complementary measurements of the planet’s dynamic environment at the same time.

    Screenshot 2018-10-20 at 04.07.58.png

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BepiColombo

    BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury.[3] The mission comprises two satellites to be launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO).[4] The mission will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including its magnetic field, magnetosphere, interior structure and surface. It was launched on 20 October 2018 at 01:45 UTC, with an arrival at Mercury planned for December 2025, after a flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and six flybys of Mercury.[1][5] The mission was approved in November 2009, after years in proposal and planning as part of the European Space Agency's Horizon 2000+ program;[6] it is the last mission of the program to be launched.[7] ~ Wikipedia

    Launch replay link: https://livestream.com/ESA/BepiColomboLaunch/videos/182128519
     
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  2. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Oct 21, 2018
    #2
    I wish it wasn't going to take it 7 years to get there!

    Aside from that, I will be glued to this one. For some strange reason, Mercury has always been fascinating to me. I did, and do still, absorb all the data I find on this strange world.

    Thanks for posting this, Mak! Keep on!

    Dave

    The-clearest-photo-of-Mercury-ever-taken PNG.png
    Clearest Image of Mercury to Date​
     
  3. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 21, 2018
    #3
    It's going the scenic route apparently.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mercurys-mysteries-to-be-probed-by-british-science

    QinetiQ supplied the innovative electric propulsion system. A beam of charged particles are expelled from the spacecraft to propel it forward. Ion propulsion produces low levels of thrust very efficiently compared with conventional chemical rockets. ~ op cit

    It's probably the British made ion rockets, I think they were originally configured to drive on the left side of space.
     
  4. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Oct 21, 2018
    #4
    Yep! That explains it - testing out ion-drive thrusters. At the current level of technology ion-power is what will likely be used for our first interstellar craft to Procyon Centauri, or wherever.
     
  5. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 21, 2018
    #5
    I think flying directly to Mercury isn't easy so they have to find a way of slowing the vehicle down without needing a shed load of fuel.
     
  6. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Oct 21, 2018
    #6
    The star has alot of gravitational pull that needs to be factored-in regards braking.
     
  7. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 21, 2018
    #7
    Yeah, I think missions to Mercury are fraught with difficulties, solar gravitation and heat being just two.
     
  8. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Oct 21, 2018
    #8
    Well it's headed for Venus first. Then it'll sling-shot for Mercury off Venus.
     
  9. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 21, 2018
    #9
    ESA will probably get some great JPEG's of Venus.
     
  10. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Oct 21, 2018
    #10
    The Akatsuki mission has done an excellent job of that. Here's 3 from this:


    Venus by Akatsuki b BEST!.jpg




    Venus by Akatsuki b.jpg




    Venus by Akatsuki.jpg



    Enjoy!
     
  11. Mak the Night

    Mak the Night Well-Known Member

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    Mak the Night, Oct 21, 2018
    #11
    Far out.
     

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