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> BepiColombo at Mercury

BepiColombo at Mercury

author: ESA/Novapix

reference: e-son25-03008

Image Size 300 DPI: 50 * 28 cm

Artist’s impression of the BepiColombo spacecraft in cruise configuration, with Mercury in the background. On its 7.2 year journey to the innermost planet, BepiColombo will fly by Earth once, Venus twice and Mercury six times before entering into orbit. The Mercury Transfer Module is shown with ion thrusters firing, and with its solar wings extended, spanning about 30 m from tip-to-tip. The 7.5 m-long solar array of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter in the middle is seen extending to the top. The Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter is hidden inside the sunshield in this orientation. It should be launch in 2018 and reach Mercury in 2025.

Keywords for this photo:

2018 - BEPICOLOMBO - ILLUSTRATION - MERCURY - MERCURY MAGNETOSPHERIC ORBITER - MERCURY PLANET ORBITER - MMO - MPO - PLANET - SOLAR PANEL - SPACE - SPACECRAFT - SPACEPROBE -