BepiColombo recorded this view of Mercury on October 1, 2021, as the spacecraft flew past the planet for a gravity assist maneuver. Credit: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.
The joint European-Japanese BepiColombo mission captured this view of Mercury on October 1, 2021, as the spacecraft flew past the planet for a gravity assist maneuver.
The image was taken at 23:44:12 UTC by the Mercury Transfer Modules Monitoring Camera 2, when the spacecraft was about 2418 km from Mercury. Closest method of about 199 km took place soon in the past, at 23:34 UTC.
The region revealed is part of Mercurys northern hemisphere including Sihtu Planitia that has actually been flooded by lavas. The 166 km-wide Lermontov crater is likewise seen, which looks intense due to the fact that it includes features unique to Mercury called hollows where unstable elements are leaving to space.
More images and information will be offered later today.
The gravity help maneuver was the very first at Mercury and the 4th of nine flybys overall. During its seven-year cruise to the smallest and innermost world of the Solar System, BepiColombo makes one flyby at Earth, 2 at Venus and 6 at Mercury to assist guide on course for Mercury orbit in 2025. The Mercury Transfer Module brings two science orbiters: ESAs Mercury Planetary Orbiter and JAXAs Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, which from complementary orbits will study all aspects of mysterious Mercury from its core to surface processes, electromagnetic field and exosphere, to better understand the origin and advancement of a world close to its moms and dad star.
By European Space Firm (ESA).
October 2, 2021.
The image was taken at 23:44:12 UTC by the Mercury Transfer Modules Monitoring Camera 2, when the spacecraft was about 2418 km from Mercury. The 166 km-wide Lermontov crater is likewise seen, which looks brilliant due to the fact that it includes features unique to Mercury called hollows where unpredictable elements are getting away to area. Throughout its seven-year cruise to the smallest and innermost planet of the Solar System, BepiColombo makes one flyby at Earth, two at Venus and 6 at Mercury to help steer on course for Mercury orbit in 2025.