7 years, 8.9 billion kilometers: Thales embarks on the mission to Mercury with BepiColombo
Discover the secrets of Mercury
After 20 years of preparation, the deep space mission BepiColombo organised by ESA (European Space Agency) in collaboration with the Japanese agency JAXA, began its 7 year journey to Mercury. On the night of Friday 19th October 2018, Ariane 5 successfully launched BepiColombo, with its final destination the almost unknown planet of the solar system, Mercury. In total, the probe will have to perform 8 gravity assists (around the Earth, around Venus, and 6 around Mercury) in order to reach the smallest planet in the solar system.
Resistance against the most extreme temperatures
Mercury is the planet scientists know the least about and is the most mysterious of all in the solar system: only two previous missions have briefly passed it (Mariner 10 between 1974 and 1975 and Messenger between 2011 and 2015). Before discovering the secrets of Mercury's atmosphere and magnetosphere, BepiColombo will be exposed to temperatures around 300°C with some exposures at 400°C. Throughout its journey, the probe will travel 8.9billion kilometers with thermal amplitude oscillating between -180°C and +430°C. This exploration mission is the most complicated that the European Space Agency has ever embarked upon in order to analyse the smallest planet of the solar system, with a diameter of 4.879 kilometers.
Connecting Earth & Mercury
The BepiColombo is equipped with the best transmission technology provided by Thales Microwave & Imaging Sub-Systems which must withstand the harsh conditions of the mission. A total of 8 Travelling Wave Tubes (TWTs), including 2 Q band TH4606C tubes and 2 X band TH4604C tubes, will contribute to the probe's success. Thales's TWTs will guarantee an instantaneous connection with the teams on Earth and transmit the topographic and geographic analysis, the solar radiation, and findings of Mercury's magnetic field. Congratulations to all the teams at Thales for this collective achievement. Thales is, and will continue to be a pivotal contributor of the success of many deep space missions. Mercury, Venus, Pluto, Titan, the Moon, Earth, Mars, comets, asteroids...what's next?
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