The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Late on 4 September 2025, BepiColombo successfully flew past planet Mercury for the fourth time. At 23:48 CEST, Bepi, Mio and MTM got as close as 165 km to Mercury’s surface, closer than ever before!
BepiColombo’s cartoon characters Bepi, Mio and MTM correspond to the mission's three elements: ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (shown in blue, middle), JAXA’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (red, top) and the ESA-built Mercury Transfer Module (grey, bottom), respectively.
The trio approached the planet on its cold night side, with Mercury’s cratered surface becoming increasingly lit up by the Sun as the spacecraft flew by. MTM's monitoring cameras snapped BepiColombo's best images so far, while both Bepi and Mio used their science instruments to investigate the little planet’s surroundings.