Introduction:
On June 19, 2023, Europe's BepiColombo spacecraft made its third close flyby of Mercury, coming within just 150 miles (240 kilometers) of the planet's surface. The flyby was a major milestone in the mission, which is ultimately aiming to place two orbiters around Mercury to study the planet in unprecedented detail.
Body:
The BepiColombo spacecraft was launched in 2018 and is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The spacecraft is named after Giuseppe Colombo, an Italian scientist who made significant contributions to our understanding of Mercury's orbit.
The flyby on June 19 was the third of six planned flybys of Mercury that BepiColombo will make before entering orbit around the planet in 2025. The flybys are necessary to slow the spacecraft down enough so that it can be captured by Mercury's gravity.
During the flyby, BepiColombo took a number of scientific measurements, including of Mercury's magnetic field, atmosphere, and surface. The spacecraft also took images of Mercury's surface, which will help scientists to better understand the planet's history and evolution.
Conclusion:
The close flyby of Mercury on June 19 was a major milestone for the BepiColombo mission. The flyby helped to slow the spacecraft down and also provided valuable scientific data about Mercury. The mission is now one step closer to its ultimate goal of placing two orbiters around Mercury to study the planet in unprecedented detail.
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