Editing Mercury (planet) (section)

==== ''BepiColombo'' ====
{{Main|BepiColombo}}
The [[European Space Agency]] and the [[Japanese Space Agency]] developed and launched a joint mission called ''BepiColombo'', which will orbit Mercury with two probes: one to map the planet and the other to study its magnetosphere.<ref name="ESAColumboGoAhead">{{cite web |title=ESA gives go-ahead to build BepiColombo |date=February 26, 2007 |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |url=http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMC8XBE8YE_index_0.html |access-date=May 29, 2008 |archive-date=March 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331042423/http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMC8XBE8YE_index_0.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Launched on October 20, 2018, ''BepiColombo'' is expected to reach Mercury in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=BepiColombo Fact Sheet |url=http://sci.esa.int/bepicolombo/47346-fact-sheet/ |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |access-date=December 19, 2016 |date=December 1, 2016 |archive-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160520023104/http://sci.esa.int/bepicolombo/47346%2Dfact%2Dsheet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It will release a magnetometer probe into an elliptical orbit, then chemical rockets will fire to deposit the mapper probe into a circular orbit. Both probes will operate for one terrestrial year.<ref name="ESAColumboGoAhead" /> The mapper probe carries an array of spectrometers similar to those on ''MESSENGER'', and will study the planet at many different wavelengths including [[infrared]], [[ultraviolet]], [[X-ray]] and [[gamma ray]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Objectives |publisher=European Space Agency |url=http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31350 |date=February 21, 2006 |access-date=May 29, 2008 |archive-date=September 28, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928055507/http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31350 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''BepiColombo'' conducted the first of its six planned Mercury flybys on October 1, 2021,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/10/bepicolombo-first-mercury-flyby/|title=BepiColombo completes first Mercury flyby, science provides insight into planet's unique environment|website=[[NASA|NASA Spaceflight]]|date=October 24, 2021|accessdate=October 8, 2022|last1=Warren|first1=Haygen|archive-date=October 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008121521/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/10/bepicolombo-first-mercury-flyby/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the sixth was completed on January 9, 2025. The spacecraft will enter the planet's orbit in 2026.<ref name="BBCBepi">{{cite web |last=Fullbrook |first=Danny |date=January 9, 2025 |title=New Images of Mercury Captured by UK Spacecraft |website=[[BBC]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2v2r1jm7go |access-date=January 10, 2025 }}</ref>