BEPICOLOMBO (ESA/JAXA SPACECRAFT)

Mercury, the least explored planet of the inner Solar System, is the target of BepiColombo, the ESA/JAXA mission that is going to reveal the secrets of the smallest of the rocky planets. Watch the launch of #BepiColombo live on 20 October 2018 at 3:45 CEST: http://www.esa.int/live Learn more about BepiColombo: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/SpaceInVideos Follow ESA on Twitter: http://bit.ly/ESAonTwitter On Facebook: http://bit.ly/ESAonFacebook On Instagram: http://bit.ly/ESAonInstagram On Flickr: http://bit.ly/ESAonFlickr ESA is Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related. Copyright information about our videos is available here: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

Meet Bepi, Mio and MTM, three new space explorers about to start an extraordinary journey to Mercury, a planet of extremes and mysteries. Find out how these bold spacecraft have been preparing for their epic adventure, from space school to flyby practice. Watch as their training covers not only planetary science and space education, but also cultural aspects of their places of origin: Bepi and MTM were born in Europe, while Mio comes from Japan. Follow Bepi, Mio and MTM as they become fascinated by their destination thanks to the curious discoveries made by their cousin Messenger. Learn about the science questions that Bepi and Mio will investigate, from Mercury's geology and surface composition to the magnetic field and its interaction with the solar wind. Finally, walk with them to the launch pad and wish them a great start to a memorable adventure. This video is also available in the following languages: 日本人: https://youtu.be/Z96Sw0NyvEg Français: https://youtu.be/m5vaMYJupfM Deutsche: https://youtu.be/fvahTWyhV1g Italiano: https://youtu.be/ziMwI5fR2HA Español: https://youtu.be/2VnUX6yRn4Q Learn more about #BepiColombo: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/SpaceInVideos Follow ESA on Twitter: http://bit.ly/ESAonTwitter On Facebook: http://bit.ly/ESAonFacebook On Instagram: http://bit.ly/ESAonInstagram On Flickr: http://bit.ly/ESAonFlickr ESA is Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related. Copyright information about our videos is available here: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

BepiColombo is scheduled for launch at 01:45 GMT (03:45 CEST) on 20 October on an Ariane 5 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou. Final assembly of the two orbiters and transfer module has taken place, ready for the spacecraft to be integrated into its Ariane 5 launcher. BepiColombo is Europe’s first mission to Mercury, the smallest and least explored planet in the inner Solar System. It is a joint endeavour between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, and consists of two scientific orbiters: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO). The mission will study all aspects of Mercury, from the structure and dynamics of its magnetosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind, to its internal structure with its large iron core, and the origin of the planet’s magnetic field. More about #BepiColombo: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/SpaceInVideos Follow ESA on Twitter: http://bit.ly/ESAonTwitter On Facebook: http://bit.ly/ESAonFacebook On Instagram: http://bit.ly/ESAonInstagram On Flickr: http://bit.ly/ESAonFlickr ESA is Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out http://www.esa.int/ESA to get up to speed on everything space related. Copyright information about our videos is available here: http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

BepiColombo is one of the cornerstone missions of the European Space Agency (ESA), in cooperation with Japan, and will provide the most complete exploration of Mercury to date. The mission consists of two separate spacecraft that will orbit the planet. The ESA is building one of the main spacecraft, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), and the Japanese space agency JAXA contributes the other, the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO). BepiColombo will help to reveal information on the composition and history of Mercury, as well as general information on the formation of the rocky planets, including the Earth. University of Leicester Involvement Professor G.W Fraser was the original Principal Investigator for the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS). His death in March 2014 is a major loss to the program, but work on the instrument he cared so much about, continues. George's successor in the MIXS Principal Investigator role is Professor Emma Bunce. Our roles include: Development, production and calibration of the MIXS optics; Calibration of the focal plane detector; Construction and test of the MIXS instrument; Flight data analysis The MIXS Instrument MIXS consists of two channels; MIXS-C a collimator providing efficient flux collection over a broad range of energies with a wide field of view for planetary mapping and MIXS-T, an imaging telescope with a narrow field of view for high spatial resolution measurements of the surface. MIXS has a companion instrument the SIXS (Solar Intensity X-ray Spectrometer) being developed by the University of Helsinki which will perform measurements of X-rays and particles of solar origin. The combination of these instruments will provide details on the elemental composition of the surface layer of Mercury.

Tuesday, 18th September, 12:45-13:45 Central European Summer Time (UTC+2) Mercury and BepiColombo • New results on the birth and strange chemistry of Mercury – Thomas Ronnet and Bastien Brugger (University of Aix Marseille) • One month to BepiColombo launch – Johannes Benkhoff (European Space Agency) • Investigating mysterious Mercury with BepiColombo – Joana Oliveira (European Space Agency) • The Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter of the BepiColombo mission – Go Murakami (JAXA)

(4 Aug 2018) LEADIN: Scientists are busily testing a spacecraft bound for Mercury at the European Space Agency's (ESA) spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The BepiColombo mission is hoping to uncover the mysteries of Mercury, one of the least explored planets in our inner Solar System. STORYLINE: Guiana Space Centre, for the last few months home to the BepiColombo spacecraft, a joint mission between ESA and Japan's aerospace exploration agency. While this spaceport is strategically located close to the equator, the Mercury-bound spacecraft is keeping cool. All four elements of the BepiColombo mission - two orbiters, a transfer module and a sunshield - are being kept at low temperatures in this clean room. They arrived in May from the European Space Agency's ESTEC (European Space Research and Technology Centre) facility in the Netherlands. Studying Mercury will be challenging, its surface can reach temperatures up to 450 degrees Celsius. The spacecraft has been designed and built to withstand such temperatures. "We know that Mercury is very hot and we have to make a satellite that can survive in that harsh environment," says Hajime Hayakawa, JAXA's BepiColombo project manager. "And we know, well, it is very difficult and when we started there was already some development and we think that we can do it. "But actually, the hardware is much harder than we expected and takes a long time, but now we see this is the flight model and will be launched within several months." Before launch, the spacecraft is being covered with this multi-layered insulation - MLI, for short. It's designed to protect the spacecraft from solar and planetary radiation. The white outer is made of ceramic, helping it to withstand potential meteorite impacts. "Now, of course, we do the health checks to verify the system is healthy," says Ulrich Reininghaus, ESA's BepiColombo project manager. "And we did alignment, mechanical checks, electrical checks, all over. We check the propulsion subsystems to see if the propulsion elements are still leak tight in preparation for the fuelling." BepiColombo will study the small, inhospitable planet's structure and magnetic field. It will also assess how it interacts with the Sun and solar wind. The spacecraft is composed of two modules, one to map the planet, the other to investigate its environment. It's set for launch in mid-October. It will take about seven years to reach Mercury. It's expected to arrive in December 2025. The orbiter is named after Italian professor Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo, a mathematician and engineer from Italy's University of Padua. Only two spacecrafts have visited Mercury before - NASA's Mariner 10 flew by in the 1970s. NASA's Messenger mission reached the planet in March 2011. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/102011028589719587178/+APArchive​ Tumblr: https://aparchives.tumblr.com/​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ea5c4f0a1ef9121e3da6c396de6e56ce

ESA Web TV talks to BepiColombo project manager Ulrich Reininghaus inside the cleanroom at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, where the mission is undergoing final preparations for its launch to Mercury. BepiColombo is a joint mission between ESA and JAXA. It consists of two science orbiters – ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter – and the Mercury Transfer Module, which will use solar electric propulsion to carry the two orbiters to Mercury, along with gravity assist flybys at Earth, Venus and Mercury itself. It is Europe's first mission to Mercury, the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in the inner Solar System. ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe More information: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo

How much do we really know about Mercury? Professor David Rothery shares what he’s learned as part of his role in the European Space Agency’s BepiColombo mission to Mercury that is launching in autumn 2018. He shared what we know about the closest planet to the sun and what knowledge we hope this mission will help us learn. David is Professor of Planetary Geosciences at the Open University, based in Milton Keynes, where he teaches about planets, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and geology in general. Although he loves the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, he has been part of the team for the mission to Mercury since 2006. Using NASA data, he is currently working with his PhD students and his European counterparts to prepare geological maps of Mercury to set the context for BepiColombo’s observations This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Preparation is well under way for BepiColombo. Recently the long flight to Mercury was simulated at ESOC, ESA's Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, where it will be controlled during its journey after its launch from Kourou. More information: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe

Enjoy this animation visualising BepiColombo's launch and cruise to Mercury. Some aspects have been simplified for the purpose of this animation. The joint ESA-JAXA mission comprises the European Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, which will be transported to the innermost planet by the Mercury Transfer Module. The animation highlights several key milestones, including the solar array and antenna deployments once in space, through to the arrival at Mercury seven years later. When approaching Mercury, the transfer module will separate and the two science orbiters, still together, will be captured into orbit around the planet. Their altitude will be adjusted until the Magnetospheric Orbiter's desired orbit is reached. Then the Planetary Orbiter will separate and descend to its lower orbit, and the two craft will begin their scientific exploration of Mercury and its environment. More information: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo Credits: ESA/ATG medialab ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe

BepiColombo is the first ever two-spacecraft mission to Mercury. This documentary by the Science Museum, explains this mission between the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, The two satellites will go into separate orbits around Mercury. This is a unique aspect of the mission. These synchronised satellite orbits will provide scientists with detailed sets of data which will give them a fuller picture of the planet.

BepiColombo is one step closer to Mercury! The component parts of BepiColombo, the European Space Agency’s first mission to Mercury, have been delivered to the launch site in French Guiana by air, sea and road. The joint mission between ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) consists of two orbiters and one transfer module. It required 70 shipping containers and four cargo planes to ensure it was safely delivered to the European Spaceport at Kourou. Everything will now be unpacked and re-assembled, together with the addition of solar panels, before launching to Mercury later this year. ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Learn more: http://bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo

Activities surrounding the departure of ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) of the joint ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury, from ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The video features the final preparations of the MPO in the ESA cleanroom, including removal of ground support equipment from a science instrument, and sealing the module inside its shipping container. The containers travelled by road to Amsterdam Schiphol airport, where they boarded an Antonov cargo plane for transport to French Guiana. Three additional cargo planes carried JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter and ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module, along with the spacecraft solar arrays, sunshield, and essential ground support equipment to the Spaceport. The upcoming launch window is open 5 October – 29 November 2018. Find out more about the BepiColombo mission on bit.ly/ESAsBepiColombo Credits: ESA ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Follow Bepi: http://bit.ly/BepiTwitter Follow MMO: http://bit.ly/MMOTwitter Follow MTM: http://bit.ly/MTMtwitterESA

Meet our new space explorers, the spacecraft of the BepiColombo mission, as they begin their adventure to planet Mercury. But first, they have to navigate through Amsterdam Schiphol airport to reach Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The spacecraft really do depart from Schiphol; along with essential ground-support equipment they are scheduled to fly in a series of Antonov aircraft during the last week of April and first week of May. Upon arrival at Kourou, an intensive six-months of preparations will prepare the mission for launch. The launch window opens 5 October until 29 November 2018. Find out more about the BepiColombo mission on esa.int/bepicolombo Credits: ESA ★ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/ESAsubscribe Follow Bepi: http://bit.ly/BepiTwitter Follow MMO: http://bit.ly/MMOTwitter Follow MTM: http://bit.ly/MTMtwitterESA

The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a mission to Mercury in 2018, with the launch of its BepiColombo. German astronaut Alexander Gerst is set to command the International Space Station (ISS), and the final section of ESA's Earth observation program. Subscribe to us on YouTube: https://goo.gl/lP12gA Download our APP on Apple Store (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cctvnews-app/id922456579?l=zh&ls=1&mt=8 Download our APP on Google Play (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imib.cctv Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaGlobalTVNetwork/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgtn/?hl=zh-cn Twitter: https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/CGTNOfficial/ Tumblr: http://cctvnews.tumblr.com/ Weibo: http://weibo.com/cctvnewsbeijing

ESA’s first mission to Mercury, BepiColombo, is now set for final thermal tests before launching to the hottest planet in our Solar System in October 2018. Europe said farewell to the spacecraft in July when it was at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, in its launch configuration. BepiColombo is a joint mission to Mercury between the ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and consists of two science orbiters: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/BepiColombo_overview2

A closer look at the instruments that BepiColombo has been tricked out with. For more like this subscribe to the Open University channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsH4hSV_kEdAOsupMMm4Qw Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OUFreeLearning

An introduction to 2017's BepiColombo mission. For more like this subscribe to the Open University channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsH4hSV_kEdAOsupMMm4Qw Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OUFreeLearning

We don't know very much about Mercury, so there's a lot for BepiColombo to investigate... For more like this subscribe to the Open University channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsH4hSV_kEdAOsupMMm4Qw The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality online degrees and distance learning, serving students across the globe with highly respected degree qualifications, and the triple accredited MBA. The OU teaches through its own unique method of distance learning, called ‘supported open learning’ and you do not need any formal qualifications to study with us, just commitment and a desire to find out what you are capable of. --- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OUFreeLearning

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Video showing a test of the mechanisms steering the four solar electric propulsion thrusters on BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module (speeded up by 20 times). The module will use a combination of electric propulsion and multiple gravity assists at Earth, Venus and Mercury to carry BepiColombo’s two scientificorbiters – ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter – to the innermost planet in our Solar System. The test is designed to demonstrate that the mechanisms can reach their full steering range. The thruster mechanisms control the steering of the spacecraft during the long thrust arcs of the 7.2 year cruise to Mercury and as such are used for navigation, attitude control, and reaction wheel off-loading. Together with the onboard software, the mechanisms will update the direction of the thrust vector every five minutes relative to the spacecraft’s evolving centre of gravity. The thrusters will be fired for several months at a time between the gravity assist flybys. This particular test was conducted in April 2017, before the spacecraft was put into the composite stack configuration. The same test will be repeated again later in the year to verify performance after the stack level vibration test campaign. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/bepicolombo

Replay of the BepiColombo media briefing held at ESA's technical centre in the Netherlands on 6 July 2017. The mission, its background, technological challenges and current status were presented. Mercury is the least understood of all the inner rocky planets in our Solar System. Knowing its evolution is crucial to understand the evolution of our entire Solar System. BepiColombo, Europe's first mission to Mercury, will be launched in 2018. Currently undergoing final testing at ESA's Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands, in between being moved from one test chamber to the next, the whole spacecraft stack was presented to the media: the European and the Japanese orbiters as well as the transfer module. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/bepicolombo

The BepiColombo spacecraft stack undergoing one of the vibration tests to mimic the forces and accelerations experienced during launch into space. This series of tests had to prove that the spacecraft was free from defects and ready to be launched. The stack is shown in launch configuration, with the Mercury Transfer Module at the bottom, Mercury Planetary Orbiter in the middle (with antenna seen facing the camera), and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter’s Sunshield and Interface Structure at the top (the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter sits inside during the cruise to Mercury). During the test run shown in this video, which was carried out in ESA’s test centre on 26 June 2017, the spacecraft was shaken from side to side for just over one minute, during which the frequency of vibrations increased from rest to 100 Hz. At the lowest frequencies the spacecraft movement amplitude at its base was largest (+/- 6 mm); it then continually decreased as the frequency continued to rise, to keep the accelerations within the targeted limits. The dynamic response of the tall structure can be seen at the lowest frequencies where the eye can follow the movements. At frequencies higher than 25–30 Hz, the eye cannot see it anymore, giving the impression it is at rest. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/bepicolombo ESA - European Space Agency, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/

Video showing the deployment of one of the Mercury Transfer Module’s 12 m-long solar wings in ESA’s test centre. The craft has two wings, spanning about 30 m from tip-to-tip when both are deployed. In the test centre, the five panels were supported from above to simulate the weightlessness of space. The wings will be folded against the spacecraft’s body inside the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and will only open once in space. Mechanisms lock each panel segment in place. They can be rotated with the solar array drive mechanism attached to the main body. The module will use a combination of electric propulsion and multiple gravity assists at Earth, Venus and Mercury to carry BepiColombo’s two scientific orbiters – ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter – to the innermost planet in our Solar System. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/bepicolombo

Video showing the deployment of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter’s 7.5 m-long solar wing in ESA’s test centre. The panels were held from above to simulate the weightlessness of space. In this view, the ‘back’ of the wing is facing the viewer, showing the cabling that will be connected to the main body, while the reflective Sun-facing sides of the panels are  not seen. One of the back panels is also reflective, to deflect stray light coming from the body. The wing will be folded against the body inside the Ariane 5 launch vehicle and will only open once it is in space. More about BepiColombo: http://www.esa.int/bepicolombo

Animation visualising BepiColombo’s 7.2 year journey to Mercury. This animation is based on a launch date of 5 October, marking the start of the launch window in October 2018. It illustrates the gravity assist flybys that the spacecraft will make at Earth, Venus and Mercury before arriving at Mercury in December 2025. More about the journey: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/BepiColombo/Journey_to_Mercury

BepiColombo: To this day, Mercury remains the most mysterious planet of our solar system. The Sun’s glare makes it impossible to study via telescope and the extreme heat and proximity to the Sun make it hard to reach. As many questions remain unanswered, ESA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have teamed up for the dual spacecraft mission “BepiColombo”, named after the Italian professor Giuseppe ‘Bepi’ Colombo, which is made of 2 separate orbiters: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (supplied by ESA) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (supplied by JAXA), and a propulsion module. More info: http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/topics-in-focus/BepiColombo-Mission-to-Mercury.html

BepiColombo, Europe’s first mission to Mercury, is currently being put through its paces at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands. Mechanical and vibration tests will get underway in April with a view to a launch in October 2018. BepiColombo will arrive at Mercury, the smallest planet in our Solar System, in December 2025. The ESA-led joint European and Japanese mission consists of two spacecraft - the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) - as well as a sunshield and a Mercury Transfer Module, which will power its seven year journey using its solar electric propulsion engine. It will be a mission of further discovery after NASA’s Messenger spacecraft uncovered a number of surprises - including evidence of water ice at the closest planet to the Sun and a magnetic dipole field. This video covers the mission status as well and its plan to follow up on Mercury’s unexpected features and properties. It includes an interview with Johannes Benkhoff, ESA BepiColombo project scientist. More about BepiColombo on our website: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/BepiColombo_overview2

The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury must withstand extremely harsh conditions while in orbit around the innermost planet of our Solar System: temperatures in excess of 450 C, high ultraviolet and electron and proton fluxes. ESA’s Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory was called in by the mission team to test the performance of candidate materials and components throughout the spacecraft – including the high gain antenna used to return the mission’s scientific findings. Heat-resistant ceramic coatings for the antenna were assessed in simulated conditions.

"BepiColombo" is a joint mission of the European Space Agency and JAXA to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two satellites to be launched together: the "Mercury Planetary Orbiter" and the "Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter" . The mission will perform a comprehensive study on Mercury, including its magnetic field, magnetosphere, interior structure and surface. It is scheduled to launch in January 2017. The mission was approved in February 2007 as part of the Cosmic Vision programme. BepiColombo is named after Giuseppe Colombo , scientist, mathematician and engineer at the University of Padua, Italy, who first implemented the interplanetary gravity-assist maneuver during the 1974 "Mariner 10" mission, a technique now commonly used by planetary probes. The mission involves three components: The prime contractor for ESA is EADS Astrium. ESA is responsible for the overall mission, the design, development assembly and test of the propulsion and MPO modules, and the launch. The two orbiters are planned to be launched together on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in January 2017. The spacecraft will have a six-year interplanetary cruise to Mercury using solar-electric propulsion and gravity assists from Earth, Venus and eventual gravity capture at Mercury. ESA's Cebreros 35-metre ground station is planned to be the primary ground facility for communications during all mission phases. Arriving in Mercury orbit in 1 January 2024, MMO and MPO satellites will then separate and observe Mercury in collaboration for 1 year, with a possible 1-year extension. The orbiters will be equipped with scientific instruments provided by various European countries and Japan. It will characterise the huge liquid iron core and will complete gravity and magnetic field mappings. Russia will provide a gamma ray and neutron spectrometers to verify the existence of water ice in polar craters that are permanently in shadow from the Sun's rays. Wiz Science™ is "the" learning channel for children and all ages. SUBSCRIBE TODAY Disclaimer: This video is for your information only. The author or publisher does not guarantee the accuracy of the content presented in this video. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Background Music: "The Place Inside" by Silent Partner (royalty-free) from YouTube Audio Library. This video uses material/images from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BepiColombo, which is released under Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ . This video is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ . To reuse/adapt the content in your own work, you must comply with the license terms.

Europe’s Mercury mission is moved through ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in this new video, positioning it for testing inside the largest vacuum chamber in Europe, for a trial by vacuum. BepiColombo, Europe’s first mission to study Mercury, is a joint mission with Japan. Two spacecraft – the Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter – will fly in two different paths around the planet to study it from complementary perspectives. Flight hardware for the mission is undergoing testing at ESA’s Technical Centre, ESTEC, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, the largest spacecraft test facility in Europe, to prepare for its 2016 launch. The Mercury Planetary Orbiter was placed inside the chamber in late October for ‘thermal–vacuum’ testing. It will sit in vacuum until early December, subjected to the equivalent temperature extremes that will be experienced in Mercury orbit. Liquid nitrogen runs through the walls of the chamber to recreate the chill of empty space, while an array of lamps focuses simulated sunlight 10 times more intense than on Earth.

Shock testing of the BepiColombo structural and thermal model, shown in real time and presented again in slow motion afterwards. In this test, the spacecraft model is exposed to the shocks it will experience when BepiColombo separates from the upper stage of an Ariane 5 launcher during its voyage into space. At the signal, the launch vehicle assembly unit is released onto blocks of foam rubber while accelerometers mounted on the spacecraft measure the effect of the shock. The test was carried out in the test centre at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

BepiColombo's structural and thermal model undergoing vertical-axis vibration testing at ESTEC, ESA's space research and technology centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. From top to bottom are the sunshield, which conceals the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, with the Mercury Planetary Orbiter below. Underneath is the Mercury Transfer Module, which will deliver the stack of two scientific satellites into orbit around the planet. The stack is roughly six metres high. During the 2.5 minute vibration test, the spacecraft was subjected to frequencies from 3 Hz to 100 Hz, mimicking conditions it will experience when it lifts off on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in 2015.

BepiColombo structural and thermal model undergoing horizontal-axis vibration testing at ESTEC, ESA's space research and technology centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. From top to bottom are the sunshield, which conceals the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, with the Mercury Planetary Orbiter below. Underneath is the Mercury Transfer Module, which will deliver the stack of two scientific satellites into orbit around the planet. The stack is about six metres high. During the 2.5 minute vibration test, the spacecraft was subjected to vibrations at frequencies from 3 Hz to 100 Hz, mimicking conditions it will experience when it lifts off on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in 2015.

http://facebook.com/ScienceReason ... Mercury has always been something of a puzzle for planetary scientists. Its close position to the Sun means it is very difficult to observe, but now a series of satellites is getting up close to this fascinating planet. The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission is among them, and it will offer an unprecedented level of information about the mysterious world of Mercury. It's a missing piece in our understanding of the evolution of our solar system - but a piece that presently doesn't seem to fit the jigsaw. --- Please SUBSCRIBE to Science & Reason: • http://www.youtube.com/Best0fScience • http://www.youtube.com/ScienceTV • http://www.youtube.com/FFreeThinker --- Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, remains somewhat of a mystery to us. In the past, because of its proximity to the sun, it has been difficult for Earth based telescopes to observe Mercury against the ferocious solar light. To increase our understanding of this mysterious planet Europe will launch in 2015 BepiColombo, the first dedicated mission to Mercury that should reach its destination in 2022. Its observations of Mercury should also offer new insights into the workings of extra-solar planets in other solar systems. These planets, which like Mercury are formed in very close proximity to their parent star the sun, are a hot topic in planetary science and astronomy at the moment. This ESA Video recalls the questions raised around Mercury and explains what BepiColombo will do with interviews of Alvaro Gimenez Canete, ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration and Johannes Benkhoff, ESA BepiColombo Project Scientist. --- Mercury was first studied by the Mariner 10 mission in 1974 and since 2011 by the NASA probe 'Messenger'. Mapping the surface in detail; Messanger has picked up signs of ancient volcanoes and of a cooling inner layer. Yet so much remains to be discovered. To increase our understanding of this mysterious planet; in 2015 Europe will launch BepiColombo, the first dedicated mission to Mercury. Construction and testing of the spacecraft is well underway at the European Space Agency's Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands. The project is a joint mission with the Japanese and the spacecraft is divided into two probes, each with the job of studying different aspects of Mercury to gain a more complete picture. In the past because of its proximity to the sun its been difficult for Earth based telescopes to observe Mercury against the ferocious solar light. What we do know, points to a forbidding world, pockmarked with craters. Mercury also follows an odd elliptical orbit, on the one hand passing within 47 million kilometres of the Sun and then swinging out to 70 million kilometres. Another Mercurial paradox is the contrast between the speed of its orbit around the sun and its slow rotation around its own axis. On Mercury, days can last longer than years, with one day lasting up to 176 Earth days ... and a year only 88 Earth days. Bepi Colombo should reach its destination in 2022 after a long and difficult journey avoiding the gravitational grasp of the sun as it passes. Having arrives its observations of Mercury should offer new insights into the workings of extra-solar planets in other solar systems. These planets, which like Mercury are formed in very close proximity to their parent star the sun, are a hot topic in planetary science and astronomy at the moment. What happened to Mercury? Why is it so dense? And how did its orbit evolve?  BepiColombo, by finding answers to some of these questions, could deliver some really revealing insights into how our solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago. http://www.esa.int/ --- Keywords: Mercury Mysteries Planets Solar System European Space Agency ESA Mission BepiColombo Satellite Sun 2015 Observations Astronomy Science Videos .

Mercury has always been something of a puzzle for planetary scientists. Its close position to the Sun means it is very difficult to observe, but now a series of satellites is getting up close to this fascinating planet. The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission is among them, and it will offer an unprecedented level of information about the mysterious world of Mercury.

http://www.euronews.com/ Mercury has always been something of a puzzle for planetary scientists. Its close position to the Sun means it is very difficult to observe, but now a series of satellites are getting right up close to this fascinating planet. The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission is among them, and it will offer an unprecedented level of information about the mysterious world of Mercury. Find us on: Youtube http://bit.ly/zr3upY Facebook http://www.facebook.com/euronews.fans Twitter http://twitter.com/euronews