bepicolombo

BepiColombo Mercury Mission to Make First Venus Flyby TonightBepiColombo Mercury Mission to Make First Venus Flyby Tonight

BepiColombo Mercury Mission to Make First Venus Flyby Tonight

The Mercury-bound BepiColombo spacecraft will observe Venus during tonight’s pass, on the hunt for phosphine and sulfur-dioxide.

4 years ago
BepiColombo captured images of Earth during its recent flybyBepiColombo captured images of Earth during its recent flyby

BepiColombo captured images of Earth during its recent flyby

Farewell! Even though the BepiColombo mission launched for Mercury in 2018, it's still hanging around the Earth - at least,…

5 years ago
Satellites Watched Mercury’s Transit From Space, Confirming That Yes, the Sun Has At Least One PlanetSatellites Watched Mercury’s Transit From Space, Confirming That Yes, the Sun Has At Least One Planet

Satellites Watched Mercury’s Transit From Space, Confirming That Yes, the Sun Has At Least One Planet

Do you wonder how astronomers find all those exoplanets orbiting stars in distant solar systems? Mostly they use the transit…

5 years ago
Mercury has Magnetic Poles that Drift Like Earth’sMercury has Magnetic Poles that Drift Like Earth’s

Mercury has Magnetic Poles that Drift Like Earth’s

Earth's magnetic poles drift over time. This is something that every airplane pilot or navigator knows. They have to account…

5 years ago
Mercury-Bound BepiColombo is About to Start Using the Most Powerful Ion Engines Ever Sent to SpaceMercury-Bound BepiColombo is About to Start Using the Most Powerful Ion Engines Ever Sent to Space

Mercury-Bound BepiColombo is About to Start Using the Most Powerful Ion Engines Ever Sent to Space

A handful of spacecraft have used ion engines to reach their destinations, but none have been as powerful as the…

6 years ago
New Way to Make Plasma Propulsion Lighter and More EfficientNew Way to Make Plasma Propulsion Lighter and More Efficient

New Way to Make Plasma Propulsion Lighter and More Efficient

A new study from a team of British and French physicists presents a concept for plasma thrusters that are both…

8 years ago
Mercury MESSENGER Mission Concludes with a Smashing Finale!Mercury MESSENGER Mission Concludes with a Smashing Finale!

Mercury MESSENGER Mission Concludes with a Smashing Finale!

The planet Mercury has a brand new 52-foot-wide crater. At 3:26 p.m.  EDT this afternoon, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft bit the Mercurial dust,…

10 years ago
Mercury Spacecraft Moves To Testing Ahead Of 2016 Launch To Sun’s Closest PlanetMercury Spacecraft Moves To Testing Ahead Of 2016 Launch To Sun’s Closest Planet

Mercury Spacecraft Moves To Testing Ahead Of 2016 Launch To Sun’s Closest Planet

After facing down a couple of delays due to technical difficulties, Europe's and Japan's first Mercury orbiter is entering some…

10 years ago