Europe's mission to Mercury, in cooperation with Japan. Arriving 2026 at the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in our Solar System.
Mercury... Bring sunscreen!
Joined October 2012
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Today's our launch anniversary - 8 years since @ESA_Bepi and @JAXA_MMO roared into space together!
Listen to some of our team members summarize our mission in 3 words... #bepicolombo
And as today we're celebrating eight years since @BepiColombo left for Mercury, we've asked the team to describe the mission in three words.
Can you guess which word came up the most?
youtube.com/watch?v=iy5dI11q…
Latest updates on our mission are available at the page below. The latest entry summarises how several instruments on the Mercury Planetary Orbiter, @ESA_Bepi , gathered their first data after the separation of the Mercury Transfer Module. #BepiColombo
esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
The SIMBIO-SYS science camera on our Mercury Planetary Orbiter has successfully gathered its "first light" data, following the separation of the Mercury Transfer Module. This powerful instrument will map Mercury in great detail. #BepiColombo
Details at asi.it/en/2026/10/bepicolomb…
We've completed a planned tweak to our path towards Mercury, the first one since detaching from @ESA_MTM ... #BepiColombo
A small push for @esa & @JAXA_en #BepiColombo, a giant leap towards #Mercury! 🛰️➡️🌑
Without MTM, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter is preparing for orbit insertion.
Yesterday's successful thruster burn tested the propulsion system & delivered a planned 11.4 m/s trajectory correction ✅
@esascience @BepiColombo @ISAS_JAXA_EN
🚨Competition alert 🚨
Craft a #WelcomeToMercury message for MPO and Mio and stand a chance to win a trip to Germany and witness the ESA/JAXA #BepiColombo
mission arrive at Mercury!
The message could be a drawing, song, poem or any other art form. Details 👉esa.int/Science_Exploration/…
Last week, the MERTIS instrument on our Mercury Planetary Orbiter gathered 1st data through its planet port, blocked during cruise. This will point down at Mercury during the mission's science phase. #BepiColombo
Details at
uni-muenster.de/Planetology/…
and
dlr.de/en/wr/latest/news-1/c…
During our 4th encounter with Mercury in September 2024, the SIXS instrument revealed the bombardment of a large fraction of Mercury's surface by highly energetic particles originating at the Sun. Published in Nature Astronomy.
#BepiColombo
helsinki.fi/en/news/mathemat…
Here are more details of the BELA laser altimeter switch-on yesterday, including the first laser pulse sent from the instrument aboard the Mercury Planetary Orbiter: #BepiColombo dlr.de/en/wr/latest/news-1/f…
The BELA laser altimeter on our Mercury Planetary Orbiter spacecraft was successfully activated for the first time in space yesterday. 👍
During the mission's science phase, from April 2027, it will map the shape of Mercury and its surface. #BepiColombo
mediarelations.unibe.ch/medi…
Our journey so far, as imaged by @ESA_MTM ...
Eight years of space selfies in 4️⃣ minutes 📸
As the @ESA / @JAXA_en @BepiColombo mission traveled toward its final destination around Mercury, three onboard monitoring cameras took images of the journey 👇
Which planets do you spot along the way? 👀
youtu.be/WJqWGdWERqk
@ISAS_JAXA_EN
BepiColombo retweeted
World leaders, ministers, astronauts and industry representatives will gather in Paris this week for the International Space Summit.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher will present a pathway for Europe's future in space exploration and invite leaders to reflect on the role Europe wants to play in the next era of space, from low Earth orbit and the Moon to Mars.
Read more: esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_n…
#ParisSpaceSummit
BepiColombo retweeted
Media call: join a press briefing on @BepiColombo held by the Europlanet Science Congress 2026 organisers on 9 September, at 12:45 CEST.
@ESA & @JAXA_en representatives will give an update on the status of the spacecraft and look ahead at the next steps.
Register here 👉us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi…
BepiColombo retweeted
Mercury, here we come! 🛰️ 🌑
Eight years and nine planetary flybys later, the ESA/JAXA @BepiColombo mission has parted ways with its Mercury Transfer Module – the first critical step of its Mercury Arrival Phase.
Catch up on how it happened ICYMI 👉esa.int/Enabling_Support/Ope…
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@ESA
@JAXA_en @ISAS_JAXA_EN
@esaoperations
ALT Photo of the screen that showed the signal confirming the successful separation of the Mercury Transfer Module. A yellow line wiggles up and down in a constant manner, with one sharp narrow spike in the middle.
RT @esaoperations: ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL CONFIRMED! 🎉🛰️
#BepiColombo telemetry shows the Mercury Transfer Module has successfully separate…
BepiColombo retweeted
The #BepiColombo Mission Control Team is now checking the final telemetry received from the spacecraft during execution of MTM separation. ☑️
@ESA @JAXA @BepiColombo @ISAS_JAXA_EN #Mercury
BepiColombo retweeted
The #BepiColombo MTM separation sequence has now started on-board, taking care of all that is needed for separation to take place. 🛰️
We'll only see this on ground about 11 min later. ⏱️
Mission teams are closely tracking system status ahead of this key milestone. 📈
@ESA @JAXA @BepiColombo @ISAS_JAXA_EN #Mercury
BepiColombo retweeted
🚨 LIVE NOW! From ESA Mission Control
The GO has been given, the operation is underway, and our livestream has begun. Follow along as #BepiColombo executes the MTM separation sequence and enters the next phase of its journey to #Mercury. ☀️🌑🛰️
Watch here 👉 youtube.com/watch?v=oC7lQngN…
@ESA @JAXA_en @BepiColombo @ISAS_JAXA_EN
BepiColombo retweeted
🟢 GO for MTM separation.
The Mission Control Team has the green light to proceed with #BepiColombo's MTM separation. ✅
The spacecraft is configured, the team is ready, and the first milestone of #Mercury arrival is underway. 🛰️
@ESA @JAXA_en @BepiColombo @ISAS_JAXA_EN
ALT The BepiColombo flight control team assembled in the Main Control Room at ESOC
BepiColombo retweeted
A last selfie, 3.3 million km from Mercury 📸
@BepiColombo's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) has taken one last set of snapshots before it separates today from the science orbiters, @ESA's Bepi and @JAXA_en's Mio, which will continue their journey to Mercury.
Farewell, robot friend 👋 🥹
@JAXA_MMO
@ESA_Bepi
@ESA_MTM
@ISAS_JAXA_EN
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ALT View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 1 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which shows part of the extended solar array of the MTM on the right and a part of MTM itself on the left.
ALT View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 2 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which captures parts of the medium-gain antenna and magnetometer boom on ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO).
ALT View from the monitoring camera M-CAM 3 on ESA’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), which captures part of the high-gain antenna on ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and some of MPO's body.