Astro on Tap: BepiColombo: Mission to Mercury

This talk was given virtually at Astronomy on Tap (AoT) Lansing on May 13, 2020. Note that gifs and videos won't render in this pdf.

Video for the whole evening: https://www.facebook.com/AoTLansing/videos/661279434434959
"BepiColombo: Mission to Mercury" starts just after the 1 hour mark, though all the talk are fantastic!

Transcript

1. BepiColombo: Dr. Abbie Stevens AoT May 2020 Mission to Mercury Image: “Mercury on the Horizon”, Juan Carlos Casado
2. BepiColombo: Dr. Abbie Stevens AoT May 2020 Mission to Mercury Image: “Mercury on the Horizon”, Juan Carlos Casado
3. • Closest planet to the Sun (2.5 light-minutes) • Smallest planet in the Solar System Quick refresher: Mercury Source: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury
4. • Closest planet to the Sun (2.5 light-minutes) • Smallest planet in the Solar System • 58 Earth-days for one Mercury day, but only 88 Earth-days for one Mercury year. For every 2 years, it has 3 days! Quick refresher: Mercury Source: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury
5. Quick refresher: Mercury Source: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury • Closest planet to the Sun (2.5 light-minutes) • Smallest planet in the Solar System • 58 Earth-days for one Mercury day, but only 88 Earth-days for one Mercury year. For every 2 years, it has 3 days! • Tons of craters (no atmosphere to stop stuff)
6. Quick refresher: Mercury Source: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury • Closest planet to the Sun (2.5 light-minutes) • Smallest planet in the Solar System • 58 Earth-days for one Mercury day, but only 88 Earth-days for one Mercury year. For every 2 years, it has 3 days! • Tons of craters (no atmosphere to stop stuff) • No moons, no rings, 800°F in daytime, -290°F at nighttime. Brutal.
7. Previous Mercury missions Getting to Mercury is super hard because it’s moving so fast and it’s closer to the Sun. It takes more fuel to reach Mercury than to leave the Solar System! • 1973: Mariner 10 (NASA) • 2004: Messenger (NASA) Image credit: NASA
8. Previous Mercury missions Getting to Mercury is super hard because it’s moving so fast and it’s closer to the Sun. It takes more fuel to reach Mercury than to leave the Solar System! • 1973: Mariner 10 (NASA) Reached Mercury in 1974 after one comet fly-by and one Venus fly-by. Took first close-up images, analyzed solar radiation. • 2004: Messenger (NASA) Image credit: NASA
9. Previous Mercury missions Getting to Mercury is super hard because it’s moving so fast and it’s closer to the Sun. It takes more fuel to reach Mercury than to leave the Solar System! • 1973: Mariner 10 (NASA) Reached Mercury in 1974 after one comet fly-by and one Venus fly-by. Took first close-up images, analyzed solar radiation. • 2004: Messenger (NASA) Reached Mercury in 2008 after one Earth fly-by and two Venus fly-bys, finally entered orbit of mercury in 2011. Found water-ice at poles, orbited for 4 years for detailed pictures. Image credit: NASA
10. So: BepiColombo! • Named for Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian scientist (1920-1984) Image credit: ESA
11. So: BepiColombo! • Named for Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian scientist (1920-1984) • Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) • 11 scientific instruments Image credit: ESA Image credit: NASA
12. So: BepiColombo! • Named for Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian scientist (1920-1984) • Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) • 11 scientific instruments • Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio) • 5 scientific instruments Image credit: ESA Image credit: NASA
13. It takes a while to get to mercury 2018 2025 2020-2021 2021-2024 2020
14. It takes a while to get to mercury October 2018
15. It takes a while to get to mercury April 2020
16. It takes a while to get to mercury
17. It takes a while to get to mercury Oct 2025 ----------------Dec 2025 ---------------- Mar 2026
18. Once it gets there Mio MPO
19. So much science: MPO Altitude Magnetic Heat mapping X-ray mapping Radio mapping Exosphere 3-D pictures Gamma ray mapping Speed Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab Inside: Ions Ions Hi-def pictures Pictures ions UV mapping Solar wind field
20. So much science: MPO Altitude Magnetic Heat mapping X-ray mapping Radio mapping Exosphere 3-D pictures Gamma ray mapping Speed Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab Inside: Ions Ions Hi-def pictures Pictures ions UV mapping Solar wind field
21. So much science: Mio Image credit: ESA/ATG Medialab Dust Magnetic field Magnetic field Plasma & ions Plasma & ions Plasma & ions Plasma & ions Sodium? More plasma
22. Summary • Mercury is pretty brutal • Only two previous missions • BepiColombo is headed there now FOR SCIENCE • Geology, magnetosphere, solar wind, exosphere, general relativity, planets close to stars
23. Summary • Mercury is pretty brutal • Only two previous missions • BepiColombo is headed there now FOR SCIENCE • Geology, magnetosphere, solar wind, exosphere, general relativity, planets close to stars resources solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets sci.esa.int/bepicolombo