ESA's BepiColombo Mission Successfully Separates Mercury Transfer Module

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) BepiColombo mission has achieved a critical milestone with the successful separation of its Mercury Transfer Module (MTM). This event, which occurred on September 3, 2026, marks the first step in BepiColombo's long-awaited arrival at Mercury, following an eight-year, 9.9 billion-kilometer journey through the inner Solar System. The mission is now preparing to place two spacecraft in orbit around Mercury in December 2026.