The 'BepiColombo' probe begins its approach to Mercury eight years after its launch

Eight years after its launch, the BepiColombo probe is about to begin the first approach phase to Mercury, the smallest and least explored terrestrial planet in the Solar System. The operation will consist of separating the Transfer Module, which propelled the spacecraft, from the two scientific orbiters. This separation is scheduled for Thursday. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, which partly explains its difficult exploration until now.