BepiColombo
ESA / JAXA · Mercury
The joint ESA and JAXA Mercury mission has finished its powered cruise and arrives in orbit in November 2026.
At a glance
- Phase
- cruise
- Operator
- ESA / JAXA
- Destination
- Mercury
- Next milestone
- Mercury orbit insertion on 21 November 2026, with routine science operations beginning in early 2027
- Last verified
- 2026-08-06
Where it stands
In the final year of its cruise with all six Mercury flybys complete; ESA confirmed the successful shutdown of the solar electric propulsion system on 24 June 2026 ahead of Mercury orbit insertion on 21 November 2026.
The mission
BepiColombo, ESA's joint mission with JAXA, is listed as in operation and en route to Mercury after completing its sixth and final Mercury flyby on 8 January 2025. On 24 June 2026 the team received signal confirmation that the spacecraft's solar electric propulsion system had shut down successfully, closing out the powered portion of the cruise. ESA states arrival at Mercury in November 2026, with routine science operations from its two orbiters beginning in early 2027.