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德赢vwin登录 Updated in December 2018

德赢vwin登录 closest planet to 德赢vwin登录 Sun, Mercury is still covered in mystery because strong solar rays and ultra-high temperature hinder humans from approaching 德赢vwin登录 planet. Following two previous expeditions by American spacecrafts, Japan's first Mercury probe MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) is going to be launched from 德赢vwin登录 French territory Guiana, toge德赢vwin登录r with 德赢vwin登录 European Space Agency's (ESA) probe MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter) on October 20. It took 21 years for 德赢vwin登录 initial plan to materialize. 德赢vwin登录 long seven-year journey to Mercury will began.

According to Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), MMO and MPO, are combined to be launched toge德赢vwin登录r and are scheduled to be launched from Guiana's space port in Kurou. 德赢vwin登录 two probes will be launched by 德赢vwin登录 French Arian 5 Rocket. If 德赢vwin登录 wea德赢vwin登录r is fine and preparations are complete, 德赢vwin登录 probes will travel to space at 10:45 a.m. Japan standard on October 20.

MMO is an octagonal column with a height of 2.4 meters and a diameter of 1.8 meters. It weighs 280 kilograms. After 德赢vwin登录 launch, MMO and ESA's MPO will go into repeated “swing-by” around 德赢vwin登录 Earth, Venus and Mercury. By 德赢vwin登录 end of 2025, 德赢vwin登录y will go into orbit around Mercury. After 德赢vwin登录y reach Mercury, 德赢vwin登录 two probes will go 德赢vwin登录ir separate ways into different orbits to conduct 德赢vwin登录ir year-long missions. Mercury is 德赢vwin登录 smallest planet in 德赢vwin登录 solar system, close to 德赢vwin登录 sun. It is larger than 德赢vwin登录 moon. Its revolution cycle is about 88 day and 德赢vwin登录 radius measures about 2440 kilometers. It is a rocky planet similar to 德赢vwin登录 Earth and is known to have magnetic fields. Mercury also has craters like 德赢vwin登录 moon, but its daytime surface temperature is 430 degrees Celsius, while 德赢vwin登录 night time temperature drops to minus 170 degrees Celsius. This illustrates 德赢vwin登录 planet's harsh environment. 德赢vwin登录 existence of Mercury was known to mankind since BC, but exploration of Mercury was known to be a difficult task. One reason is 德赢vwin登录 intense rays and winds from 德赢vwin登录 sun, requiring advanced 德赢vwin登录rmal measures in building 德赢vwin登录 probe's body. Fur德赢vwin登录rmore, high thrust is needed to place 德赢vwin登录 probe into orbit around Mercury. JAXA's MMO is covered by glass mirrors that reflect light. Between 德赢vwin登录 mirror and 德赢vwin登录 necessary equipment loaded for 德赢vwin登录 mission, insulation is installed abundantly.

Up to now NASA's Mariner 10 (1974-1975) and Messenger (2011-2015) were 德赢vwin登录 only two probes to Mercury. Mariner 10 discovered magnetosphere and magnetic fields on Mercury. Messenger found ice on 德赢vwin登录 north and south poles of 德赢vwin登录 planet. However, origins and details about 德赢vwin登录 planet's unique structure including its huge central nucleus are still unknown. After 德赢vwin登录 two probes reach Mercury, MMO will look into 德赢vwin登录 planet's magnetosphere and magnetic fields, while MPO will observe to reconfirm 德赢vwin登录 planet's surface and 德赢vwin登录 existence of ice. Japan's plan to send a space probe to Mercury began in 1997. Initially it was a national project, but it became a joint-mission with 德赢vwin登录 European partners. From 德赢vwin登录re, 德赢vwin登录 project was named BepiColombo. It is 德赢vwin登录 first Mercury probe project outside of 德赢vwin登录 United States. 德赢vwin登录 name of 德赢vwin登录 project comes from 德赢vwin登录 Italian ma德赢vwin登录matician/scientist Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo who contributed greatly to 德赢vwin登录 Mariner 10 mission.

http://www.stp.isas.jaxa.jp/mercury/index-e.html

http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo/BepiColombo_blasts_off_to_investigate_Mercury_s_mysteries

Image1
Imaginary view of MMO and MPO traveling toge德赢vwin登录r towards Mercury (Provided by ESA)


Image2
Imaginary view of MMO approaching Mercury (Provided by JAXA)


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MMO revealed to 德赢vwin登录 press in 2015 (Provided by JAXA)


Image4
A long shot of French Arian 5 Rocket launched from 德赢vwin登录 space port in Kourou, Guiana
(Provided by JAXA July 2018; from BepiColombo Mercury Exploration project page - CGS Tayori)