BepiColombo Science Investigations During Cruise and Flybys at the Earth, Venus and Mercury

Review (2021)
Author(s)

Valeria Mangano (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri)

Melinda Dósa (Wigner Research Centre for Physics)

Markus Fränz (Max-Planck-Institut fur Sonnensystemforschung)

Anna Milillo (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri)

Joana S. Oliveira (Spanish National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), European Space Agency (ESA))

Y. Lee (Technical University of Berlin)

Susan McKenna-Lawlor (Space Technology Ireland, Ltd.)

Davide Grassi (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri)

F. G.A. Quarati (TU Delft - RST/Luminescence Materials, Gonitec B.V.)

More authors (External organisation)

Research Group
RST/Luminescence Materials
Copyright
© 2021 Valeria Mangano, Melinda Dósa, Markus Fränz, Anna Milillo, Joana S. Oliveira, Y. Lee, Susan McKenna-Lawlor, Davide Grassi, F.G.A. Quarati, More Authors
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9
More Info
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Publication Year
2021
Language
English
Copyright
© 2021 Valeria Mangano, Melinda Dósa, Markus Fränz, Anna Milillo, Joana S. Oliveira, Y. Lee, Susan McKenna-Lawlor, Davide Grassi, F.G.A. Quarati, More Authors
Research Group
RST/Luminescence Materials
Issue number
1
Volume number
217
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Abstract

The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute.