SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
BepiColombo Mission Takes First Step Towards Mercury Arrival
WHY IT MATTERS
The successful separation of the MTM is a crucial step towards BepiColombo's arrival at Mercury, which is expected to provide valuable insights into the planet's composition and environment.
What happened
The European Space Agency's (ESA) BepiColombo mission has begun its critical arrival sequence at Mercury. After an eight-year journey through the inner Solar System, the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) separated from the rest of the stacked spacecraft on September 3, 2026.
This marks the start of a complex planetary arrival sequence. A livestream broadcast from ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, provided live views, expert analysis, and behind-the-scenes insights.
The separation was followed by a signal check and status update, with the livestream resuming at 15:30 CEST.
PRIMARY SOURCES
BepiColombo’s Mercury arrival begins - full replay
European Space Agency · ESA website terms; link and attribution only