Astro on Tap: BepiColombo: Mission to Mercury

by Dr. Abbie Stevens

Slide 1

Slide 1 text

BepiColombo: Dr. Abbie Stevens AoT May 2020 Mission to Mercury Image: “Mercury on the Horizon”, Juan Carlos Casado

Slide 2

Slide 2 text

BepiColombo: Dr. Abbie Stevens AoT May 2020 Mission to Mercury Image: “Mercury on the Horizon”, Juan Carlos Casado

Slide 3

Slide 3 text

• Closest planet to the Sun (2.5 light-minutes) • Smallest planet in the Solar System Quick refresher: Mercury Source: solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mercury

Slide 4

Slide 4 text

• 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

Slide 5

Slide 5 text

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)

Slide 6

Slide 6 text

Slide 7

Slide 7 text

Slide 8

Slide 8 text

Slide 9

Slide 9 text

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

Slide 10

Slide 10 text

So: BepiColombo! • Named for Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian scientist (1920-1984) Image credit: ESA

Slide 11

Slide 11 text

So: BepiColombo! • Named for Giuseppe “Bepi” Colombo, Italian scientist (1920-1984) • Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) • 11 scientific instruments Image credit: ESA Image credit: NASA

Slide 12

Slide 12 text

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

Slide 13

Slide 13 text

It takes a while to get to mercury 2018 2025 2020-2021 2021-2024 2020

Slide 14

Slide 14 text

It takes a while to get to mercury October 2018

Slide 15

Slide 15 text

It takes a while to get to mercury April 2020

Slide 16

Slide 16 text

It takes a while to get to mercury

Slide 17

Slide 17 text

It takes a while to get to mercury Oct 2025 ----------------Dec 2025 ---------------- Mar 2026

Slide 18

Slide 18 text

Once it gets there Mio MPO

Slide 19

Slide 19 text

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

Slide 20

Slide 20 text

Slide 21

Slide 21 text

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

Slide 22

Slide 22 text

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