The Bepicolombo spacecraft, operated by European and Japanese space agencies, now made its last flyby of Mercury before settling into orbit around the planet.
Written by Vanshika Jain
During its 6th flyby, the ESA predicted the spacecraft flew less than 200 miles above Mercury’s surface, capturing attractive images and measuring its magnitude field.
Since 2021, the mission has progressed so far, Bepicolombo has finished six flybys of Mercury, gathering data about craters, magnetic fields, and other planetary properties.
The spacecraft agency shares incredible pictures of Mercury's rocky surface, filled with craters and signs of ancient lava flows.
A newly established crater has been named ‘Stoddart’ after Margaret Olrog Stoddart, a popular New Zealand artist referred for her beautiful floral paintings.
Scientists noticed the crater during planning and thought it could be crucial for future studies, So, they requested a unique name for it.
BepiColombo’s process isn't only about stunning pictures—it’s helping scientists to know about Mercury’s history, its magnetic field, or even its volcanic past.
After this flyby, the team is working to help Bepicolombo into Mercury’s orbit. It will start a brief study of the smallest planet in our solar system.
Bepicolombo’s journey to Mercury is a big success, paving the way for fresh discoveries about the swift Planet and our Solar system