After 8 Years in Space, ‘BepiColombo’ Is Finally Approaching Mercury
The space probe—named after an acclaimed Italian scientist who developed the “gravity assist” trick that enables interplanetary journeys today—was originally scheduled to arrive at Mercury last year. However, after a malfunction with the propulsion, the probe was forced to change course so it could reach Mercury at reduced power. After a bumpy journey—reaching more than 200 million kilometers from Earth—transmissions from the probe indicated all went smoothly.Mercury has only been explored twice before, both times by NASA probes.
- ▪The space probe—named after an acclaimed Italian scientist who developed the “gravity assist” trick that enables interplanetary journeys today—was originally scheduled to arrive at Mercury last year.
- ▪However, after a malfunction with the propulsion, the probe was forced to change course so it could reach Mercury at reduced power.
- ▪After a bumpy journey—reaching more than 200 million kilometers from Earth—transmissions from the probe indicated all went smoothly.Mercury has only been explored twice before, both times by NASA probes.
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| Original publisher | WIRED — Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.wired.com/story/after-8-years-in-space-bepicolombo-finally-approaching-mercury/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-21T09:03:48.234Z |
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Ritsuko KawaiScienceSep 21, 2026 5:00 AMAfter 8 Years in Space, ‘BepiColombo’ Is Finally Approaching MercuryFollowing a difficult journey, the probe will soon begin unravelling the mysteries of Mercury’s magnetic field and internal structure.BepiColombo makes its descent to Mercury.ILLUSTRATION: European Space AgencyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyBepiColombo has been on a bit of an Odyssey. The space probe—named after an acclaimed Italian scientist who developed the “gravity assist” trick that enables interplanetary journeys today—was originally scheduled to arrive at Mercury last year. However, after a malfunction with the propulsion, the probe was forced to change course so it could reach Mercury at reduced power.
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