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The BepiColombo Mission

The BepiColombo Mission. Overview & Status by Johannes Benkhoff (HEWG/SERENA Meeting - 12. May 2008). 1 / 14. BepiColombo ESA – JAXA mission to explore Mercury named after Prof. Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo dual spacecraft mission:. Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)

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The BepiColombo Mission

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  1. The BepiColombo Mission Overview & Status by Johannes Benkhoff (HEWG/SERENA Meeting - 12. May 2008) 1 / 14

  2. BepiColomboESA – JAXA mission to explore Mercurynamed after Prof. Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombodual spacecraft mission: • Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) • focus on surface and interior science • built under ESA responsibility (~800kg) • 11 science instruments/instrument suites MPO • Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) • focus on the planetary environment • built under JAXA responsibility (~250kg) • 5 instrument suites MMO illustrated by Alex Luktus

  3. BepiColombo (Cruise) Configuration MTM Mercury Transfer Module MPO Mercury Planetary Orbiter Sunshield MMO Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter BepiColombo industrial contract signature Press event, Friedrichshafen, 18 January 2008

  4. Mission BaselineNote: currently under review !! • Launch: August 2013 (2014 back-up) • 6 year cruise to Mercury by electric propulsion • Earth, Venus, Mercury fly-by’s/gravity assists • Arrival at Mercury: August 2019 • Gravity capture into Mercury orbit / Final Mercury orbit adjustment by chemical propulsion • Injection of the MPO and MMO into their respective orbits by chemical propulsion • Science operations: 1 year nominal plus 1 year extended

  5. BepiColombo at Mercury Coverage < 500 km: HR chemistry (X, gamma/neutron) HR Imagery, HR spectrometry geodesy, altimetry BepiColombo MPO: global MMO e=0.66 9,2 h MPO 2019 e = 0,16 2,3 hours Messenger 2011 e=0,73 60° N,12 h Data rates (average bit rate): MMO : 3,5 kbits/s MPO : 70 kbits/s

  6. BepiColombo – Science Objectives • Origin and evolution of a planet close to its parent star • Mercury as a planet - form, interior, structure, geology, composition and craters • Mercury's exosphere composition and dynamics • Mercury's magnetized envelope (magnetosphere): structure and dynamics • Origin of Mercury's magnetic field • Test of Einstein's theory of general relativity D(ln G)/dt J2 of the Sun

  7. to fulfill the scientific objectives, one needs … - comprehensive, highest resolution global coverage of the planet - thermal infrared images, to determine surface composition and create global temperature maps - high quality measurements of Mercury’s gravity field (planet interior, test of Einstein’s theory) - high-detail measurements of the plasma and particle environment - double-point measurements around the planet, to better understand the structure and dynamics of the environment around Mercury

  8. Scientific themes • Surface • - topography, morphology, composition • Interior • – state of the core, composition, magnetic field • Exosphere • – composition, dynamics, surface release • Magnetosphere • - structure, dynamics, composition MPO • Internal magnetic field: • - Structure and distribution, Origin and internal structure • Magnetosphere • - Structure, Kinetics, processes • Atmosphere • Structure, variations, production from surface, loss to solar wind • Surface Crust • - Present structure, status, evolution • Interplanetary plasma and dust MMO

  9. Scientific Payload MPO SIXS Solar Intensity X-ray and particle spectrometer Monitor solar X-ray intensity and solar particles PI: Juhani Huovelin (Finland) SIMBIO-SYS: HIRC, STC, VIHI Spectrometers and Imagers for MPO High resolution and stereo imaging, Near-IR (<2.0μm) imaging spectroscopy for global mineralogical mapping PI: Enrico Flamini (Italy) BELA BepiColombo Laser Altimeter Topographic mappingPIs: Tilman Spohn (Germany) Nicolas Thomas (Switzerland) ISA Italian Spring Accelerometer Non–gravitational accelerations of the spacecraft PI: Valerio Iafolla (Italy)

  10. Scientific Payload MPO MIXS Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer Elemental surface composition, global mapping and composition of surface featuresPI: George Fraser (United Kingdom) MPO/MAG Magnetic Field InvestigationDetailed description of planetary magnetic field, its source and interaction with the solar windPI: Karl-Heinz Glassmeier (Germany) MGNS Mercury Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer Elemental surface and sub-surface composition, volatile deposits on polar areas PI: Igor Mitrofanov (Russia) MORE Mercury Orbiter Radio Science Experiment Core and mantle structure, Mercury orbit, fundamental science, gravity field PI: Luciano Iess (Italy)

  11. Scientific Payload MPO SERENA: Elena, MIPA, Search for Exospheric Refilling and Emitted PICAM, Strofio Natural Abundances In-situ study of composition, vertical structure and source and sink processes of the exosphere PI: Stefano Orsini ( Italy) PHEBUS Probing of Hermean Exosphere by Ultraviolet SpectroscopyUV spectral mapping of the exosphere PI: Eric Chassefière ( France) MERTIS Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Imaging Spectrometer Global mineralogical mapping (7-14 µm), surface temperatures and thermal inertiaPI: Harald Hiesinger ( Germany)

  12. MPO Payload Resources

  13. Scientific Payload MMO (23.6 kg, 48.5 W ) MGF Magnetic Field Investigation studies magnetic field from(2 sub-units)the planet, magnetosphere, and interplanetary solar wind. MPPEMercury Plasma Particle Experiment studies plasma(7 sub-units)& neutral particles from the planet, magnetosphere, and interplanetary solar wind. PWI Plasma Wave Investigation studies electric field,(7 sub-units)electromagnetic waves, and radio waves from magnetosphere and solar wind. MSASIMercury Sodium Atmosphere Spectral Imager studies the thin sodium atmosphere. MDM Mercury Dust Monitor studies dust from the planet and interplanetary & interstellar space.

  14. MPO PI MMO PI BC Ground Segment set-up: Science Phase MPO RSE PI DSN BCMOC BCSOC ESA Network BCSGS MMO JAXA MOC JAXA SOC JAXA Network

  15. Status: Payload is in a reasonable good shape / Instrument Preliminary Design reviews ongoing Spacecraft activities in 2008 focused on procurement and build-up of complete industrial team, in preparation for System Preliminary Design Review (PDR). Significant dry mass growth of the whole system (MTM, MPO, MMO, and MOSIF Sunshield) forced the Project to setup a “Tiger Team” to consolidate the system design and to review the mission baseline. System PDR will be held at the end of 2008

  16. …BepiColombo will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the innermost, least known planet Mercury and of the evolution of ourSolar System

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