BepiColombo stack
Date: 09 October 2018
Satellite: BepiColombo
Depicts: MTM, MPO and MMO
Location: Kourou, French Guiana
Copyright: ESA - M. Pedoussaut
The BepiColombo spacecraft stack is hoisted up inside the final assembly building for mounting on the Ariane 5 launcher.
BepiColombo is a joint endeavour between ESA and JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) is at the top of the stack, only just visible in this view, ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) is in the middle, and ESA's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) is at the bottom.
The four dark cylinders underneath the MTM are the spacecraft's steerable solar electric propulsion thrusters.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
