ESA Released New Photos Of BepiColombo Mercury Mission

On 8 January 2025, the BepiColombo Mercury mission completed its sixth flyby of Mercury. This marked the final manoeuvre before it is set to enter the planet’s orbit in 2026. The spacecraft flew just 295 km above Mercury’s surface, capturing close-up views of the sunlit northern regions and the shadowed icy craters using its M-CAM cameras.

On 9 January, during the Annual Press Briefing, the Director of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, unveiled the first image taken by the spacecraft’s cameras, capturing the public’s imagination.

Revealing Mercury’s Mysteries

BepiColombo’s monitoring camera 1 (M-CAM 1) flew through Mercury’s shadow, offering a rare glimpse into the perpetually shaded craters at the planet’s north pole, including Prokofiev, Kandinsky, Tolkien, and Gordimer. Despite Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, these unlit craters are among the coldest places in the Solar System.

There is evidence that these dark craters contain frozen water. And this is one of the key Mercury mysteries, which BepiColombo aims to explore during the mission.

To the left of Mercury’s north pole in the images one can observe the expansive volcanic plains known as Borealis Planitia. They were formed by the widespread eruption of runny lava 3.7 billion years ago.

Additionally, the craters Henri and Lismer, visible in the image, are notable examples of lava-flooded craters.

Another image reveals that the volcanic plains cover a significant portion of Mercury’s surface. Within the Borealis Planitia, the Mendelssohn and Rustaveli craters are clearly visible. In the bottom left of the image lies Mercury’s largest impact crater, the Caloris Basin, which spans more than 1,500 km.

Just above the Caloris Basin is a bright lava flow. Its colour closely resembles the lava found both on the floor of the Caloris Basin and in the Borealis Planitia further north. This presents yet another of Mercury’s mysteries for the BepiColombo mission to investigate.

Mercury Is Getting Darker

Mercury is an exceptionally dark planet, with the younger features on its surface appearing noticeably brighter. While scientists are still uncertain about the precise composition of Mercury, it is evident that the planet’s material darkens gradually over time.

BepiColombo’s third image, captured by M-CAM 2, shows spectacular examples of the two things that bring bright material to the surface: volcanic activity and significant impacts.

Near the planet’s upper edge in the image is the Nathair Facula, a striking remnant of the largest volcanic explosion on Mercury. At its centre lies a volcanic vent approximately 40 km across, which has been the site of at least three major eruptions. The resulting explosive volcanic deposit spans an impressive 300 km in diameter.

And to the left lies the relatively young Fonteyn crater, which formed “only” 300 million years ago. Its youth is evident from the brightness of the impact debris radiating outward from it.

During the BepiColombo mission, advanced instruments will analyse the composition of both the old and more recent parts of Mercury’s surface. These investigations will provide more understanding of what the planet is made of and how it was formed.

About BepiColombo Mission

BepiColombo is a collaborative mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to Mercury. The mission aims to study the planet’s composition, geophysics, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and history.

The mission consists of two satellites launched together: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The spacecraft was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 October 2018 and is scheduled to arrive at Mercury in November 2026.

After reaching Mercury’s orbit, the Mio and MPO satellites will separate and observe Mercury in collaboration for one year, with a possible one-year extension.

It is the most complex mission ever to orbit Mercury. Due to Sun proximity, Mercury is the least explored planet of the inner Solar System. Planet’s exploration will definitely bring more understanding of the great mysteries of the entire Solar System.