BepiColombo Science Investigations During Cruise and Flybys at the Earth, Venus and Mercury
: Mangano Valeria, Dósa Melinda, Fränz Markus, Milillo Anna, Oliveira Joana S., Lee Yeon Joo, McKenna-Lawlor Susan, Grassi Davide, Heyner Daniel, Kozyrev Alexander S., Peron Roberto, Helbert Jörn, Besse Sebastien, de la Fuente Sara, Montagnon Elsa, Zender Joe, Volwerk Martin, Chaufray Jean-Yves, Slavin James A., Krüger Harald, Maturilli Alessandro, Cornet Thomas, Iwai Kazumasa, Miyoshi Yoshizumi, Lucente Marco, Massetti Stefano, Schmidt Carl A., Dong Chuanfei, Quarati Francesco, Hirai Takayuki, Varsani Ali, Belyaev Denis, Zhong Jun, Kilpua Emilia K. J., Jackson Bernard V., Odstrcil Dusan, Plaschke Ferdinand, Vainio Rami, Jarvinen Riku, Ivanovski Stavro Lambrov, Madár Ákos, Erdős Géza, Plainaki Christina, Alberti Tommaso, Aizawa Sae, Benkhoff Johannes, Murakami Go, Quemerais Eric, Hiesinger Harald, Mitrofanov Igor G., Iess Luciano, Santoli Francesco, Orsini Stefano, Lichtenegger Herbert, Laky Gunther, Barabash Stas, Moissl Richard, Huovelin Juhani, Kasaba Yasumasa, Saito Yoshifumi, Kobayashi Masanori, Baumjohann Wolfgang
Publisher: SPRINGER
: 2021
: Space Science Reviews
: SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
: SPACE SCI REV
: ARTN 23
: 217
: 1
: 81
: 0038-6308
: 1572-9672
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9
: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-021-00797-9
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/53422731
The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to explore the planet Mercury. BepiColombo was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, and a sunshield. BepiColombo cruise trajectory is a long journey into the inner heliosphere, and it includes one flyby of the Earth (in April 2020), two of Venus (in October 2020 and August 2021), and six of Mercury (starting from 2021), before orbit insertion in December 2025. A big part of the mission instruments will be fully operational during the mission cruise phase, allowing unprecedented investigation of the different environments that will encounter during the 7-years long cruise. The present paper reviews all the planetary flybys and some interesting cruise configurations. Additional scientific research that will emerge in the coming years is also discussed, including the instruments that can contribute.
