{"id":24820,"date":"2021-10-24T20:08:34","date_gmt":"2021-10-24T12:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/bepicolombo-completes-first-mercury-flyby-science-provides-insight-into-planets-unique-environment\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T15:18:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T07:18:55","slug":"bepicolombo-completes-first-mercury-flyby-science-provides-insight-into-planets-unique-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/bepicolombo-completes-first-mercury-flyby-science-provides-insight-into-planets-unique-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"BepiColombo completes first Mercury flyby, science provides insight into planet\u2019s unique environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On October 1, 2021, the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) BepiColombo spacecraft successfully performed its first flyby of the solar system\u2019s innermost planet, Mercury. The flyby is the first in a set of six such events BepiColombo will complete before entering orbit around Mercury in late 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Following the flyby, initial science returns from different instruments onboard BepiColombo revealed interesting details about the environment surrounding Mercury, as well as details on the planet itself.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The flyby<\/p>\n<p>BepiColombo\u2019s first Mercury flyby sequence took place on October 1 and October 2, with the closest approach occurring at 23:34 UTC on October 1 at a distance of 199 km from the surface of Mercury as the spacecraft\u2019s monitoring cameras captured images of the planet.<\/p>\n<p>These same cameras returned images of Venus from BepiColombo\u2019s second flyby of that planet in August 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The three monitoring cameras onboard BepiColombo\u2019s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) captured images of the planet for four hours beginning approximately five minutes after the closest approach.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 945px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=haygenwarren&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1444219731188256772&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2021%2F10%2Fbepicolombo-first-mercury-flyby%2F&amp;sessionId=55ff2ab49c94a405fedbfe021de63c85ae297be5&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1444219731188256772\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Space Shuttle models<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Rocket building kits<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>While the images of Mercury are visually impressive \u2014 with the planet being seen behind some of BepiColombo\u2019s instruments \u2014 and stunningly clear, they also allow scientists to identify certain surface craters on the planet and marked the start of the craft\u2019s scientific objectives at Mercury as some regions around the planet will not be accessible once the craft enters orbit; therefore, they have to be studied during the flybys.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>BepiColombo Updates<\/li>\n<li>ESA Forum Section<\/li>\n<li>L2 Future Spacecraft<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThe flyby was flawless from the spacecraft point of view, and it\u2019s incredible to finally see our target planet,\u201d said Elsa Montagnon, Spacecraft Operations Manager for BepiColombo.<\/p>\n<p>As the flyby progressed, several instruments onboard BepiColombo\u2019s modules simultaneously collected data on Mercury and its surrounding environment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt may have been a fleeting flyby, but for some of BepiColombo\u2019s instruments, it marked the beginning of their science data collection and a chance to really start preparing for the main mission,\u201d says Johannes Benkhoff, BepiColombo project scientist at ESA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese flybys also offer the chance to sample regions around Mercury that will not be accessible once we\u2019re in orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mercury\u2019s exosphere<\/p>\n<p>During the flyby, the PHEBUS ultraviolet spectrometer on BepiColombo\u2019s Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) module collected data on Mercury\u2019s exosphere \u2014 an extremely thin, low-density atmosphere. Currently, the exosphere is thought to exist due to either solar wind or surface material.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-81405\" class=\"wp-image-81405 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1946\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars.png 1946w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars-350x194.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars-630x350.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars-1920x1066.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/First_taste_of_Mercury_s_exosphere_pillars-1170x649.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1946px) 100vw, 1946px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-81405\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This graph shows the amounts of hydrogen and calcium PHEBUS recorded during the flyby. (Credit: ESA\/BepiColombo\/PHEBUS)<\/p>\n<p>PHEBUS observed the region for an hour. After BepiColombo exited from the shadow of Mercury, PHEBUS recorded sharp peaks of hydrogen and calcium following closest approach. These two elements are thought to be common in Mercury\u2019s exosphere.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, the Mercury Gamma-ray and Neutron Spectrometer (MGNS) instrument, also located on the MPO, detected bright fluxes of neutron and gamma rays in the exosphere \u2014 phenomena often produced by galactic cosmic rays interacting with the uppermost surface layers of a planet.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, these emissions could provide insight into the composition of the surface of Mercury.<\/p>\n<p>The BepiColombo science team is currently performing a detailed analysis of the MGNS data as well as the MGNS data from BepiColombo\u2019s second Venus flyby in August.<\/p>\n<p>Once in orbit around Mercury in 2025, PHEBUS and the MGNS will continue to investigate the planet\u2019s exosphere \u2014 characterizing its composition and dynamics in great detail. PHEBUS will also watch for changes in the exosphere location over time as well.<\/p>\n<p>Mercury\u2019s magnetic field and solar wind&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Due to Mercury\u2019s close proximity to the Sun, one might expect the planet to be often blasted with solar wind that is ejected from the Sun\u2019s corona. However, Mercury\u2019s magnetic field, like Earth, helps shield the planet from the full force of coronal ejections.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Sound of the solar wind at Mercury\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZQAVXrlK0bs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Until BepiColombo\u2019s flyby, only the northern hemisphere had been magnetically surveyed by a spacecraft, leaving scientists without an answer to how the planet\u2019s magnetic field and solar wind interacted at Mercury\u2019s southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>During BepiColombo\u2019s flyby, sensors located on the spacecraft\u2019s magnetometer boom recorded data on Mercury\u2019s magnetic field and solar wind as the craft zipped past the planet\u2019s southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat makes this flyby particularly interesting, as it is the first time that data from the planet\u2019s southern hemisphere close to the surface is available \u2013 even if it is just a small sample,\u201d said Daniel Heyner from TU Braunschweig in Germany, MPO magnetometer researcher group lead.<\/p>\n<p>BepiColombo teams took the magnetometer data and converted it into a sound audible to the human ear. The audio captures the changes in the intensity of the magnetic field and solar wind as well as the moment BepiColombo crossed the magnetosheath \u2014 the border region around Mercury where the planet\u2019s magnetosphere and solar wind interact in a highly turbulent way.<\/p>\n<p>Once in orbit, measurements taken by these instruments will be used to perform a detailed analysis of Mercury\u2019s magnetosphere, allowing scientists to get a glimpse into the origin, evolution, and current state of the planet\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n<p>Accelerations and temperature changes<\/p>\n<p>As the flyby progressed, BepiColombo\u2019s Italian Spring Accelerometer (ISA) instrument, located on the MPO module, recorded the spacecraft\u2019s accelerations as Mercury\u2019s gravitational pull tugged on the craft.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How a spacecraft \u2018feels\u2019 a planetary flyby\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z-ZCniUPlG8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The ISA also recorded the temperature change BepiColombo experienced as it entered and exited the shadow of Mercury. These measurements are similar to those taken by the ISA in August as the mission performed its second Venus flyby.<\/p>\n<p>Like the magnetometer data, the BepiColombo team was able to translate the ISA data into an audio file.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the acceleration plots that were appearing on our screens, we could see the tidal effects of Mercury on the BepiColombo structure, the drop of the solar radiation pressure during the transit in the shadow of the planet, and the movement of the center of mass of the spacecraft due to flexing of the large solar arrays,\u201d says Carmelo Magnafico of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics.<\/p>\n<p>In orbit, the ISA will support a study of Mercury\u2019s interior structure and will test Einstein\u2019s theory of General Relativity with great accuracy. The instrument will also measure Mercury\u2019s center of mass as it completes its 88-day orbit around the Sun.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the ISA will be used to provide accurate details on the orbit of the MPO component of the mission.<\/p>\n<p>BepiColombo\u2019s second Mercury flyby will occur on June 23, 2022.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead image: BepiColombo at Mercury. Credit: ESA\/ATG medialab\/NASA\/JPL)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On October 1, 2021, the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) BepiColombo spacecraft successfully performed its first flyby of the solar system\u2019s innermost planet, Mercury. The flyby is the first in a set of six such events BepiColombo will complete before entering orbit around Mercury in late 2025. Following the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2039,246,877,2040],"class_list":["post-24820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bepicolombo","tag-esa","tag-jaxa","tag-mercury"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24820"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31579,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24820\/revisions\/31579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}