The BepiColombo Mission

May 2008 [email protected] / 14

Overview & Status

byJohannes Benkhoff (HEWG/SERENA Meeting - 12. May 2008)

The BepiColombo Mission

May 2008 [email protected]

Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)• focus on surface and interior science• built under ESA responsibility (~800kg) • 11 science instruments/instrument suites

MPO

MMO illustrated by Alex Luktus

Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO)• focus on the planetary environment• built under JAXA responsibility (~250kg)• 5 instrument suites

BepiColomboESA – JAXA mission to explore Mercurynamed after Prof. Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombodual spacecraft mission:


BepiColombo industrial contract signature

Press event, Friedrichshafen, 18 January 2008

MPO Mercury Planetary Orbiter

MMO Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter

Sunshield

MTMMercury Transfer Module

BepiColombo (Cruise) Configuration


Mission BaselineNote: currently under review !!

m

SV M E

E

M

NECP

Cruise

MercuryOrbits• 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


Coverage < 500 km:

HR chemistry (X, gamma/neutron)HR Imagery, HR spectrometrygeodesy, altimetry

BepiColombo MPO: global

Messenger 2011 e=0,73

MPO 2019 e = 0,16 2,3 hours

60° N,12 h

MMO e=0.66 9,2 h

Data rates (average bit rate):

MMO : 3,5 kbits/s MPO : 70 kbits/s

BepiColombo at Mercury


• 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

BepiColombo – Science Objectives

D(ln G)/dt

J2 of the Sun


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


Scientific themes• Surface - topography, morphology, composition• Interior – state of the core, composition, magnetic field

• Exosphere – composition, dynamics, surface release

• Magnetosphere - structure, dynamics, composition

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

MPO

MMO


Scientific Payload MPO

SIXS Solar Intensity X-ray and particle spectrometerMonitor 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 mapping

PIs: Tilman Spohn (Germany) Nicolas Thomas (Switzerland)

ISA Italian Spring AccelerometerNon–gravitational accelerations of the spacecraft

PI: Valerio Iafolla (Italy)


Scientific Payload MPO

MIXS Mercury Imaging X-ray SpectrometerElemental surface composition, global mapping and composition of surface features

PI: George Fraser (United Kingdom)

MPO/MAG Magnetic Field Investigation Detailed description of planetary magnetic field, its source and interaction with the solar wind

PI: 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)


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 UltravioletSpectroscopyUV spectral mapping of the exosphere

PI: Eric Chassefière ( France)

MERTIS Mercury Radiometer and Thermal ImagingSpectrometer

Global mineralogical mapping (7-14 µm), surfacetemperatures and thermal inertiaPI: Harald Hiesinger ( Germany)


MPO Payload Resources

Experiment

Mass [kg]

Power (allocated)

[W]

Power (Orbit Average)

[W]

Power (max) [W]

BELA 12 49 49 75

ISA 5.3 6 8 12

MPO/MAG 1.8 5 4.6 5.3

MERTIS 3.3 8 11 19.5

MIXS 7.3 12 18 34

MGNS 5.2 4 4 5

MORE 3.5 30 35 35

PHEBUS 6.6 4 5.4 25

SERENA 5.4 21 21 28

SIMBIO-SYS

8.3 23 23 34

SIXS 1.3 2 2.7 5.4

TOTAL 60 164 182 279


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.

MPPE Mercury 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 magnetosphereand solar wind.

MSASI Mercury Sodium Atmosphere

Spectral Imager studies the thinsodium atmosphere.

MDM Mercury Dust Monitor studiesdust from the planet andinterplanetary & interstellar space.


BC Ground Segment set-up: Science Phase

BCMOC

JAXA MOC

MPO PI

ESA Network

JAXA Network

DSN

RSE PI

MMO

MPO

JAXA SOC

MMO PI

BCSGS

BCSOC


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


…BepiColombo will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the innermost, least known planet Mercuryand of the evolution of ourSolar System

The BepiColombo Mission

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