BepiColombo

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3⁄4 of the planet's radius) and determine the size of each. [17] The mission will also complete gravitational and magnetic field mappings. Russia provided 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.

Mercury is too small and hot for its gravity to retain any significant atmosphere over long periods of time, but it has a "tenuous surface-bounded exosphere" [18] containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and other trace elements. Its exosphere is not stable as atoms are continuously lost and replenished from a variety of sources. The mission will study the exosphere composition and dynamics, including generation and escape.

Objectives

The main objectives of the mission are: [3] [19]

Design

Planned orbits for Mio and MPO satellites, the two probes of the BepiColombo mission MMO&MPO-Orbits.svg
Planned orbits for Mio and MPO satellites, the two probes of the BepiColombo mission

The stacked spacecraft will take seven years to position itself to enter Mercury orbit. During this time it will use solar-electric propulsion and nine gravity assists, flying past the Earth and Moon in April 2020, Venus in 2020 and 2021, and six Mercury flybys between 2021 and 2025. [1]

The stacked spacecraft left Earth with a hyperbolic excess velocity of 3.475 km/s (2.159 mi/s). Initially, the craft was placed in a heliocentric orbit similar to that of Earth. After both the spacecraft and Earth completed one and a half orbits, it returned to Earth to perform a gravity-assist maneuver and is deflected towards Venus. Two consecutive Venus flybys reduce the perihelion near to the Sun–Mercury distance with almost no need for thrust. A sequence of six Mercury flybys will lower the relative velocity to 1.76 km/s (1.09 mi/s). After the fourth Mercury flyby, the craft will be in an orbit similar to that of Mercury and will remain in the general vicinity of Mercury (see ). Four final thrust arcs reduce the relative velocity to the point where Mercury will "weakly" capture the spacecraft on 5 December 2025 into polar orbit. Only a small maneuver is needed to bring the craft into an orbit around Mercury with an apocentre of 178,000 kilometres (111,000 mi). The orbiters then separate and will adjust their orbits using chemical thrusters. [22] [23]

History

The BepiColombo mission proposal was selected by ESA in 2000. A request for proposals for the science payload was issued in 2004. [24] In 2007, Astrium was selected as the prime contractor, and Ariane 5 chosen as the launch vehicle. [24] The initial target launch of July 2014 was postponed several times, mostly because of delays on the development of the solar electric propulsion system. [24] The total cost of the mission was estimated in 2017 as US$2 billion. [25]

Schedule

Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025 .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} BepiColombo * Earth * Venus * Mercury * Sun For more detailed animation, see this video Animation of BepiColombo trajectory.gif
Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025
   BepiColombo ·   Earth  ·   Venus  ·   Mercury  ·   Sun
For more detailed animation, see this video
Sequence of images taken during the second Mercury flyby
Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory around Mercury Animation of BepiColombo trajectory around Mercury.gif
Animation of BepiColombo's trajectory around Mercury

As of 2021, the mission schedule is: [1]

BepiColombo
BepiColombo spacecraft model.png
Artist's depiction of the BepiColombo mission, with the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (left) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (right)
Mission type Planetary science
Operator
COSPAR ID 2018-080A
SATCAT no. 43653
Mission durationCruise: 7 years (planned)
Science phase: 1 year (planned)
5 years, 4 months and 2 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer
Launch mass4,100 kg (9,000 lb) [1]
BOL mass MPO: 1,230 kg (2,710 lb)
Mio: 255 kg (562 lb) [1]
Dry mass2,700 kg (6,000 lb) [1]
DimensionsMPO: 2.4 m × 2.2 m × 1.7 m (7 ft 10 in × 7 ft 3 in × 5 ft 7 in)
Mio: 1.8 m × 1.1 m (5 ft 11 in × 3 ft 7 in) [1]
PowerMPO: 150 watts
Mio: 90 watts
Start of mission
Launch date20 October 2018, 01:45 UTC
Rocket Ariane 5 ECA (VA245) [2]
Launch site Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3 [3]
Contractor Arianespace
Flyby of Earth (gravity assist)
Closest approach10 April 2020, 04:25 UTC
Distance12,677 km (7,877 mi)
DateEventComment
20 October 2018, 01:45 UTCLaunch
10 April 2020,
04:25 UTC		 Earth flyby1.5 years after launch
15 October 2020, 03:58 UTCFirst Venus flybyAccording to Johannes Benkhoff of ESA, the probe may possibly be capable of detecting phosphine – the chemical allegedly discovered in the Venusian atmosphere in September 2020 – during this and the following flyby. He stated that "we do not know if our instrument is sensitive enough". [26] On 15 October 2020, the ESA reported the flyby was a success. [27]
10 August 2021,
13:51 UTC		Second Venus flyby1.35 Venus years after first Venus flyby. Flyby was a success, and saw BepiColombo come within 552 kilometres (343 mi) of Venus' surface. [28] [29]
1 October 2021,
23:34:41 UTC		First Mercury flybyPassed 199 kilometres (124 mi) from Mercury's surface. [30] Occurred on what would have been the 101st birthday of Giuseppe Colombo.
23 June 2022,
09:44 UTC		Second Mercury flyby2 orbits (3.00 Mercury years) after 1st Mercury flyby. Closest approach of about 200 kilometres (120 mi) altitude. [31]
19 June 2023,
19:34 UTC		Third Mercury flyby>3 orbits (4.12 Mercury years) after 2nd Mercury flyby. Closest approach of about 236 kilometres (147 mi) altitude. [32] [33]
5 September 2024Fourth Mercury flyby~4 orbits (5.04 Mercury years) after 3rd Mercury flyby
2 December 2024Fifth Mercury flyby1 orbit (1.00 Mercury year) after 4th Mercury flyby
9 January 2025Sixth Mercury flyby~0.43 orbits (0.43 Mercury years) after 5th Mercury flyby
5 December 2025Mercury orbit insertionSpacecraft separation; 3.75 Mercury years after 6th Mercury flyby
14 March 2026MPO in final science orbit1.13 Mercury years after orbit insertion
1 May 2027End of nominal mission5.82 Mercury years after orbit insertion
1 May 2028End of extended mission9.98 Mercury years after orbit insertion
Timeline of BepiColombo from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025. Red circle indicates flybys. Timeline of BepiColombo.svg
Timeline of BepiColombo from 20 October 2018 to 2 November 2025. Red circle indicates flybys.

Components

Mercury Transfer Module

Earth flyby on 10 April 2020 BepiColombo Earth Flyby 10 april 2020.gif
Earth flyby on 10 April 2020
BepiColombo, imaged at Northolt Branch Observatories, 16 hours after the Earth flyby. The bright satellite passing by is INSAT-2D, a defunct geostationary satellite.
QinetiQ T6 Performance [34] [35]
TypeKaufman Ion Engine
Units on board4 [36] [37]
Diameter22 cm (8.7 in)
Max. thrust145 mN each
Specific impulse
(Isp)		4300 seconds
Propellant Xenon
Total power4628 W

The Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) has a mass of 2,615 kg (5,765 lb), including 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) of xenon propellant, and is located at the base of the stack. Its role is to carry the two science orbiters to Mercury and to support them during the cruise.

The MTM is equipped with a solar electric propulsion system as the main spacecraft propulsion. Its four QinetiQ-T6 ion thrusters operate singly or in pairs for a maximum combined thrust of 290 mN, [38] making it the most powerful ion engine array ever operated in space. The MTM supplies electrical power for the two hibernating orbiters as well as for its solar electric propulsion system thanks to two 14-metre-long (46 ft) solar panels. [39] Depending on the probe's distance to the Sun, the generated power will range between 7 and 14 kW, each T6 requiring between 2.5 and 4.5 kW according to the desired thrust level.

The solar electric propulsion system has typically very high specific impulse and low thrust. This leads to a flight profile with months-long continuous low-thrust braking phases, interrupted by planetary gravity assists, to gradually reduce the velocity of the spacecraft. Moments before Mercury orbit insertion, the MTM will be jettisoned from the spacecraft stack. [39] After separation from the MTM, the MPO will provide Mio all necessary power and data resources until Mio is delivered to its mission orbit; separation of Mio from MPO will be accomplished by spin-ejection.

Mercury Planetary Orbiter

Mercury Planetary Orbiter in ESTEC before stacking BepiColombo MPO ESTEC.jpg
Mercury Planetary Orbiter in ESTEC before stacking
Radio testing of BepiColombo orbiter Radio testing of BepiColombo orbiter ESA353568.jpg
Radio testing of BepiColombo orbiter

The Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) has a mass of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) and uses a single-sided solar array capable of providing up to 1000 watts and featuring Optical Solar Reflectors to keep its temperature below 200 °C (392 °F). The solar array requires continuous rotation keeping the Sun at a low incidence angle in order to generate adequate power while at the same time limiting the temperature. [39]

The MPO will carry a payload of 11 instruments, comprising cameras, spectrometers (IR, UV, X-ray, γ-ray, neutron), a radiometer, a laser altimeter, a magnetometer, particle analysers, a Ka-band transponder, and an accelerometer. The payload components are mounted on the nadir side of the spacecraft to achieve low detector temperatures, apart from the MERTIS and PHEBUS spectrometers located directly at the main radiator to provide a better field of view. [39]

A high-temperature-resistant 1.0 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter high-gain antenna is mounted on a short boom on the zenith side of the spacecraft. Communications will be on the X-band and Ka-band with an average bit rate of 50 kbit/s and a total data volume of 1550 Gbit/year. ESA's Cebreros, Spain 35-metre (115 ft) ground station is planned to be the primary ground facility for communications during all mission phases. [39]

Science payload

The science payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter consists of eleven instruments: [40] [41]

Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter)

Mio in ESTEC before stacking BepiColombo MMO ESTEC.jpg
Mio in ESTEC before stacking

Mio, or the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), developed and built mostly by Japan, has the shape of a short octagonal prism, 180 cm (71 in) long from face to face and 90 cm (35 in) high. [3] [47] It has a mass of 285 kg (628 lb), including a 45 kg (99 lb) scientific payload consisting of 5 instrument groups, 4 for plasma and dust measuring run by investigators from Japan, and one magnetometer from Austria. [3] [48] [49]

Mio will be spin stabilized at 15 rpm with the spin axis perpendicular to the equator of Mercury. It will enter a polar orbit at an altitude of 590 × 11,640 km (370 × 7,230 mi), outside of MPO's orbit. [48] The top and bottom of the octagon act as radiators with louvers for active temperature control. The sides are covered with solar cells which provide 90 watts. Communications with Earth will be through a 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) diameter X-band phased array high-gain antenna and two medium-gain antennas operating in the X-band. Telemetry will return 160 Gb/year, about 5 kbit/s over the lifetime of the spacecraft, which is expected to be greater than one year. The reaction and control system is based on cold gas thrusters. After its release in Mercury orbit, Mio will be operated by Sagamihara Space Operation Center using Usuda Deep Space Center 's64 m (210 ft) antenna located in Nagano, Japan. [40]

Science payload

Photo captured on 23 June 2022 as the spacecraft flew past the planet for its second of six gravity assist manoeuvres at Mercury. This image was taken by the Mercury Transfer Module's Monitoring Camera 3, when the spacecraft was 1406 km from the surface of Mercury. The search for volcanoes (annotated) ESA24328694.png
Photo captured on 23 June 2022 as the spacecraft flew past the planet for its second of six gravity assist manoeuvres at Mercury. This image was taken by the Mercury Transfer Module’s Monitoring Camera 3, when the spacecraft was 1406 km from the surface of Mercury.

Mio carries five groups of science instruments with a total mass of 45 kg (99 lb): [3] [40]

Mercury Surface Element (cancelled)

The Mercury Surface Element (MSE) was cancelled in 2003 due to budgetary constraints. [8] At the time of cancellation, MSE was meant to be a small, 44 kg (97 lb), lander designed to operate for about one week on the surface of Mercury. [22] Shaped as a 0.9 m (2 ft 11 in) diameter disc, it was designed to land at a latitude of 85° near the terminator region. Braking manoeuvres would bring the lander to zero velocity at an altitude of 120 m (390 ft) at which point the propulsion unit would be ejected, airbags inflated, and the module would fall to the surface with a maximum impact velocity of 30 m/s (98 ft/s). Scientific data would be stored onboard and relayed via a cross-dipole UHF antenna to either the MPO or Mio. The MSE would have carried a 7 kg (15 lb) payload consisting of an imaging system (a descent camera and a surface camera), a heat flow and physical properties package, an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, a magnetometer, a seismometer, a soil penetrating device (mole), and a micro-rover. [51]

See also

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References

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  51. ↑ "BepiColombo's lander". ESA. 20 February 2002. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
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