BepiColombo

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Boac
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BepiColombo

#1 Post by Boac » Fri Oct 01, 2021 6:57 pm

Almost unnoticed in all the other space stuff, this NASA mission is due to make its closest approach to Mercury tonight just after midnight UK time - 124nm. It has, on the way, 'swung' by several other planets in its solar travels, using each planet to adjust and aid its passage to the next planet. Mercury is the last target and it will 'swing' by the planet 4 more times before settling in an orbit around Mercury at around 3-400 nm in 2025.

A bit clever! Imagine the computations involved in that journey!

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