The unit explores the BepiColombo surface, the magnetic field and the nature of the craters on mercury.
The European space Agency (ESA) presented the details of their automatic space mission BepiColombo to study mercury.
To launch an exploratory probe in the direction nearest to the Sun planet of the Solar system will take place in October 2018, said the ESA Director for science Alvaro Gimenez at a press conference in the Dutch city Noordwijk.
The spacecraft reaches a height of 6.4 meters and weighs 4 tons. He will explore the surface, the magnetic field and the nature of the craters on mercury.
In preparation for this mission, the researchers had to solve a problem related to the operation of the device in high temperatures because of the proximity of the planet to the surface of the Sun. Prior to that investigated by NASA experts during two missions, one of them was implemented by sending probe Messenger.
BepiColombo – auto joint space mission ESA and the Japanese aerospace exploration Agency. The unit is named after Italian mathematician and engineer Giuseppe Colombo. Is planned to launch by using the launch vehicle Ariane-5. Arrival to mercury is expected in December 2025.
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