BepiColombo Mission Separates Module Ahead of Mercury Orbit Insertion

The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission successfully separated its Mercury Transfer Module from its two science orbiters on September 3, 2026. This critical maneuver marks the first major step in the spacecraft's complex arrival sequence at Mercury. The Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter are now on course to enter orbit in November 2026, paving the way for science operations to begin in April 2027.