The BepiColombo mission, a collaboration between the European and Japanese space agencies, completed its sixth and final flyby of Mercury, providing breathtaking images and valuable data on the planet’s surface. The mission aims to deepen our understanding of Mercury’s unique features before its orbital insertion in late 2026.

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• BepiColombo flew just 295 kilometers above Mercury’s North Pole, capturing close-up images of the planet.
• The spacecraft observed permanently shadowed craters, such as Prokofiev and Kandinsky, believed to harbor frozen water, despite Mercury’s proximity to the Sun.
• These craters are among the coldest locations in the Solar System.
• The flyby showcased Borealis Planitia, vast volcanic plains formed 3.7 billion years ago, shaped by ancient lava flows and cooling wrinkles.
• The mission utilized M-CAMs to capture Mercury’s surface as the spacecraft transitioned from the dark night side to the sunlit northern regions.
• This marks the last close-up imaging opportunity before BepiColombo’s orbiters detach in preparation for orbit entry in 2026.
• Scientists expect the mission to unlock secrets about Mercury’s composition, geological history, and evolution.
• BepiColombo will begin its primary mission phase in two years, further exploring the enigmatic planet.
• ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher called the findings a significant milestone in understanding Mercury.