BepiColombo Splitting to Study Mercury | Science News

Science News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 4, 2026 · 1m

After eight years of space travel, BepiColombo just split into two orbiters — Europe’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter — both sending back confirmation signals. Though still flying together, they’re on their final approach to Mercury, set to enter orbit in November, separate by December, and begin full science ops next April. The European orbiter will probe Mercury’s surface and interior, even testing Einstein’s relativity, while the Japanese one focuses on the planet’s magnetic field. This historic collaboration, already using gravity assists and stunning…