Part 6/9:
Meanwhile, the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission BepiColombo completed its sixth flyby of Mercury on January 8. This maneuver is essential for the spacecraft to gain the energy required to eventually enter orbit around Mercury in 2026. Capturing photographs of Mercury’s surface at the Terminator line—where day meets night—provides valuable geological insights, including the prospect of ice in shadowed craters.