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Preparing for fuelling

Preparing for fuelling


Date: 03 September 2018
Satellite: BepiColombo
Depicts: MTM, MPO and MMO
Location: Kourou, French Guiana
Copyright: ESA–B.Guillaume

The BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module and Mercury Planetary Orbiter being prepared for chemical propulsion fuelling.

The transfer module will use both ion propulsion and chemical propulsion, in combination with gravity assist flybys at Earth, Venus and Mercury to bring the two science orbiters close enough to Mercury to be gravitationally captured into its orbit. There, ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter will use its small thrusters to deliver JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter into its elliptical orbit around Mercury, before separating and descending to its own orbit closer to the planet.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
28-Mar-2024 19:29 UT

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https://sci.esa.int/s/wV677Bw

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