BepiColombo MPO being placed in Phenix thermal vacuum test facility

The Mercury Planetary Orbiter, part of ESA’s BepiColombo mission to Mercury, placed in the Phenix thermal vacuum facility on 17 January 2012 in preparation for its ‘bake-out’. After 23 days of sustained heating to remove potential contaminants the test was completed and the chamber reopened on 14 February 2013.