A spacecraft operated by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has made its final flyby of Mercury, as scientists now work to guide BepiColombo into the planet's orbit.
During the sixth flyby, ESA expected the spacecraft to fly less than 200 miles above the Swift Planet, while making measurements of Mercury's magnetic field and capturing stunning images.
The mission, which has proven successful, has completed six flybys of the planet since 2021, each time studying features such as craters and the planet's magnetic field.
The space agency released images showing a rocky, crater-filled area where a previous lava flow may have occurred.
One of several previously unknown craters was spotted by BepiColombo cameras and is estimated to be about 100 miles in diameter.
Following a request from a working group, the International Astronomical Union recently named the crater 'Stoddart' in honor of Margaret Olrog Stoddart, a renowned New Zealand artist known for her flower paintings.
“When we planned this flyby, we realized that this hole would be visible and we decided that it should be named because of its interest for BepiColombo scientists in the future,” said David Rothery, a professor of planetary science and a member of the BepiColombo team, previously said. .
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Other large craters include Caloris Basin, Hokusai, Shakespeare and Vivaldi, which are thought to have been caused by impacts from large asteroids or comets.
The spacecraft will continue its journey toward Mercury's orbit, where it will study Earth's surface and magnetic field in detail for at least a year.
“In 2027, the main science phase of the mission will begin. The spacecraft's suite of scientific instruments will reveal the unseen about the most mysterious planet of the solar system, to better understand the origin and evolution of the planet close to its host star,” Said ESA.
This campaign is said to continue after some time because there is no power generated by its electric generators.
The creative method was devised by the ESA flight team, which kept the mission on track by using the planet's gravity to help slow the spacecraft down.
“We can't wait to see what BepiColombo will reveal during this sixth and final flyby of Mercury. Although we are still two years away from the main science phase of the mission, we expect this encounter to provide us with beautiful images and important scientific insights into an under-explored terrestrial planet,” said Geraint Jones, scientist at ESA, in a statement.
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The innermost planet is one of the least studied in the solar system, primarily because of its proximity to the Sun.
Nasa estimates that daytime temperatures on Earth can reach 800 °F, while nighttime readings can drop to -290 °F.
Several countries have proposed trying to send it to Earth, but none are expected to launch on Earth before 2030.
Source of original article: Spacecraft makes final flyby of smallest planet in solar system
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