BepiColombo’s second Venus flyby in images

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission completed its second flyby of Venus on 19 August 2021, coming within 552 km of the planet at  13:51:54 UTC for a gravity assist manoeuvre.

All three monitoring cameras (MCAM) onboard the Mercury Transfer Module were activated during dedicated imaging slots from shortly before closest approach through to the days after. Examples are shown in this infographic.

The MCAM 1 image was taken while the spacecraft was approaching from the nightside of the planet, and captures the terminator – the division between night and day side. Part of the spacecraft’s solar array can also be seen.

The MCAM 2 image was captured two seconds after closest approach. With the Venus surface just 552 km away, the planet fills the entire field of view. The image also captures the Mercury Planetary Orbiter’s medium gain antenna and magnetometer boom

The MCAM 3 image was taken six minutes after closest approach, and its high gain antenna can be seen.

The images were captured during the second of two Venus flybys and the third of nine flybys overall. The flybys are gravity assist manoeuvres needed to help steer the spacecraft on course for Mercury. During its seven-year cruise to the smallest and innermost planet of the Solar System, BepiColombo makes one flyby at Earth, two at Venus and six at Mercury in order to enter orbit around Mercury. BepiColombo, which comprises ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled to reach its target orbit around the smallest and innermost planet of the Solar System in 2025. The spacecraft will separate and enter into their respective orbits before starting their science mission.