MPO radiator with reflective louvres
The BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) Structural and Thermal Model (STM), mounted on its ground handling trolley in a cleanroom at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
The image shows the radiator panel of the spacecraft, which is used to reject heat from the orbiter's internal systems to cold space. Polished titanium louvres positioned in front of the radiator surface reflect away infrared radiation coming from the surface of Mercury. Various apertures for the surface-pointing instruments are visible.
Last Update: 1 September 2019