An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → European Space Agency (ESA) mission aimed at studying → Mercury, the least explored planet in the inner → Solar System. It was launched on 20 October 2018.

Among several goals, BepiColombo will make a complete map of Mercury at different wavelengths. It will chart the planet’s → mineralogy and elemental → composition, determine whether the interior of the planet is molten or not, and investigate the extent and origin of Mercury’s → magnetic field, the properties of its → magnetosphere, and history of the planet.

The trajectory will also be modified by eight planetary flybys: of Earth in April 2020, Venus in 2020 and 2021, and then six times of Mercury itself between 2021 and 2025. BepiColombo will enter Mercury orbit in December 2025.

BepiColombo is a joint mission between ESA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), executed under ESA leadership.

See also: Named after Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo (1920-1984), a scientist who studied Mercury’s orbital motion in detail as well as orbits and interplanetary travel in general.