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Preparing for fuelling

Preparing for fuelling


Date: 05 September 2018
Satellite: BepiColombo
Depicts: Mercury Transfer Module
Location: Kourou, French Guiana
Copyright: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG – P.Baudon

The BepiColombo Mercury Transfer Module and Mercury Planetary Orbiter (just outside this view to the right) 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
29-Mar-2024 09:05 UT

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