Astrium launches Mercury probe build

Science Programme Committee (SPC), has awarded

a €330m contract to build the Mercury probe BepiColombo, which is scheduled to begin its journey to Mercury in 2013.

BepiColombo will consist of three modules: a European orbiter, a Japanese orbiter and a transfer module carrying the two spacecraft to Mercury. The complete unit will have a height of approximately five metres and a mass of about three tonnes, of which about 50 per cent is propellant.

The European Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) will be equipped with eleven sophisticated scientific instruments. Flying in a polar orbit, it will study Mercury for at least a year, imaging the planet’s surface, generating height profiles, and collecting data on Mercury’s composition and atmosphere.

The Japanese Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will investigate the planet’s magnetic field with its five on-board instruments.

Astrium in Germany as prime contractor is responsible for the entire three-section spacecraft, leading an industrial core-team including Astrium in the UK and Alcatel Alenia Space in Italy. Attitude and orbit control design and development is also under German responsibility and the integration of the engineering model will also take place in Germany.