12 Years in Space: BepiColombo (Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter)
October 20, 2030
European Space Agency / JAXA Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (dubbed Mio ‘waterway or fairway’) surpasses another full year in space today, launched 2018; expected to reach Mercury polar orbit in Nov 2026 to map planet, investigate magnetosphere.
