Uh-oh! BepiColombo, the joint ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury, has experienced an issue that is preventing the spacecraft’s thrusters from operating at full power.
#BepiColombo uses solar arrays and electric propulsion to generate thrust during its complex journey from Earth to Mercury.
After a problem on Apr 26, electrical power from the Transfer Module was restored to 90%, but it is not sufficient for full thrust.
The graphics below show the current location of the BepiColombo spacecraft relative to Mercury and the Sun and its location over the next few months until its next gravity assist close flyby of Mercury on Sept 5.
After Sept 5, BepiColombo will stay close to Mercury and will perform 2 more flybys before it is inserted in Mercury's orbit on Dec 5, 2025.
Meanwhile, ESA engineers are working to diagnose and fix the electrical power and thruster issue.
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