ESA · Ruimte

BepiColombo Mission Achieves Key Milestone with Mercury Transfer Module Separation

The European Space Agency's (ESA) BepiColombo mission successfully separated its Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) on September 3, 2026, marking a critical step in its arrival at Mercury. This event follows an eight-year journey covering 9.9 billion kilometers and nine planetary flybys.

The separation, confirmed by a signal received at ESA's Mission Control Centre, signifies the completion of MTM's role in powering and propelling BepiColombo using its advanced solar electric propulsion (SEP) system. This maneuver is the first in a series leading to BepiColombo becoming the first mission to place two spacecraft in orbit around Mercury in December 2026.

The mission control team in Darmstadt, Germany, along with partners and scientists, celebrated the successful separation after months of rigorous simulations and preparation. Preliminary Doppler signals provided early indication of the separation, followed by telemetry confirmation that triggered cheers and applause.

MTM, roughly the size of a small car, carried two large solar wings and used SEP to generate continuous thrust for the spacecraft's long journey. This technology was crucial for BepiColombo's complex route, which required trajectory adjustments due to an issue with the solar arrays' power output.

With MTM now inoperable and in a stable solar orbit, the remaining BepiColombo spacecraft stack will use its chemical propulsion system for final trajectory adjustments before Mercury orbit insertion on November 21, 2026. The second module, Mio, will be deployed in early December, with the main orbiter, MPO, entering its science orbit in March 2027. Both spacecraft will commence scientific investigations by April 2027, aiming to provide unprecedented insights into Mercury.

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