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\t\t\t\t\t\t03\/09\/2026<\/span> After eight years of travelling through the inner Solar System, BepiColombo is arriving at Mercury. This page will show the latest updates throughout the mission’s arrival.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n BepiColombo is a world-class science mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) in close collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It will be the first mission to orbit Mercury with two spacecraft, with ESA\u2019s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA\u2019s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio) orbiting the planet at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n The ‘arrival phase’ begins with the separation of the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) from the spacecraft stack on 3 September 2026. The composite spacecraft will enter orbit around Mercury on 21 November 2026, and MPO and Mio will separate from each other on 9\u201310 December 2026. The mission\u2019s science phase is set to begin in April 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Information about ESA’s livestream<\/p>\n \n13:03 BST \/ 14:03 CEST<\/b> \n12:45 BST \/ 13:45 CEST<\/b> \n11:03 BST \/ 12:03 CEST<\/b>
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4<\/span> likes<\/small><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n3 September 2026<\/h2>\n
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BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module should have now separated from the spacecraft, a key step in the mission’s journey towards orbiting Mercury. Now expecting acquisition of signal confirming separation no earlier than 14:53 BST \/ 15:53 CEST.<\/p>\n
ESA’s livestream has started! You can watch it here.<\/p>\n
“Roll call completed, GO for separation”\u00a0\u2013 the Mission Control Team has the green light to proceed with BepiColombo’s MTM separation. The spacecraft is checked and configured, the ground stations are prepared, and the team at ESA\u2019s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) is ready.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n