Europe, Japan Send Spacecraft on 7-Year Journey to Mercury
7:41:41 2018-10-22 823

European and Japanese space agencies said an Ariane 5 rocket successfully lifted a spacecraft carrying two probes into orbit Saturday for a joint mission to Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the unmanned BepiColombo spacecraft successfully separated and was sent into orbit from French Guiana as planned to begin a seven-year journey to Mercury.

They said the spacecraft, named after Italian scientist Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo, was in the right orbit and has sent the first signal after the liftoff.

ESA says the EUR 1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) mission is one of the most challenging in its history. Mercury's extreme temperatures, the intense gravity pull of the sun and blistering solar radiation make for hellish conditions.

The BepiColombo spacecraft will have to follow an elliptical path that involves a fly-by of Earth, two of Venus and six of Mercury itself so it can slow down before arriving at its destination in December 2025.

When it arrives, BepiColombo will release two probes - Bepi and Mio - that will independently investigate the surface and magnetic field of Mercury. The probes are designed to cope with temperatures varying from 430 degrees Celsius (806 F) on the side facing the sun, and -180 degrees Celsius (-292 F) in Mercury's shadow.

Reality Of Islam

A Mathematical Approach to the Quran

10:52:33   2024-02-16  

mediation

2:36:46   2023-06-04  

what Allah hates the most

5:1:47   2023-06-01  

allahs fort

11:41:7   2023-05-30  

striving for success

2:35:47   2023-06-04  

Imam Ali Describes the Holy Quran

5:0:38   2023-06-01  

livelihood

11:40:13   2023-05-30  

silence about wisdom

3:36:19   2023-05-29  

MOST VIEWS

Importance of Media

9:3:43   2018-11-05

Illuminations

use you time well

4:26:43   2022-02-21

your character

2:33:4   2023-02-15

different roles

9:42:16   2022-10-19

people in need

4:25:57   2023-02-11

educators

9:50:37   2023-02-28

knowing what to say

6:0:8   2023-03-19

do not burn out

2:34:48   2022-01-18



IMmORTAL Words
LATEST This $1 Food Could Help Fight Diabetes and Heart Disease Graphene Is Stretchable? Physicists Make Miracle Material Bend Like Never Before Tardigrade Natural Compound in Fruit and Vegetables Found to Slash Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk New Semiconductor Technology Could Supercharge 6G Delivery Carbon Capture More Expensive Than Switching to Renewables, Stanford Study Reveals How to Transfer Information from Short-Term Memory to Long-Term Memory Are You Eating Plastic? New Research Shows Serious Health Risks New Material Supercharges Solar Panel Power & Lifespan Master the Skill of Fast and Comprehensible Reading Interpretation of Sura Hud - Verses 69-71 The Birth of Invincible Spirit