BepiColombo swing past Mercury

Celestia-STS delivered 26 EGSE systems 8 years ago for BepiColombo which will fly just 295 km above Mercury’s surface on January 8, 2025

ESA announced that on January 8 2025, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission will fly just 295 km above Mercury’s surface, with a closest approach scheduled for 06:59 CET (05:59 UTC). It will use this opportunity to photograph Mercury, make unique measurements of the planet’s environment, and fine-tune science instrument operations before the main mission begins. This sixth and final flyby will reduce the spacecraft’s speed and change its direction, readying it for entering orbit around the tiny planet in late 2026. BepiColombo was launched on 20th October 2018 and is more than six years into its eight-year journey to planet Mercury.

Celestia-STS (formally SSBV) delivered 26 EGSE systems for BepiColombo including:

  • 2 x Power Front-Ends: Used to support S/C AIT
  • 16 x MPO SIS (Spacecraft) Interface Simulators: Delivered to Instrument Teams to support their development activities
  • 2 x TTC-IMBUs (Modems) : Integrated into the RF SCOEs
  • 3 x Simulation Front-Ends: Used for AOCS Simulation & Test (1.7m tall racks of equipment)
  • 3 x TM/TC Front-Ends: Used throughout the Spacecraft AIT and used right up until launch.

More information about the mission on ESA – BepiColombo to swing by Mercury for the sixth time