Japanese-European spacecraft en route to Mercury, weakened by thruster failure

A brownish orb in the background and a white spacecraft with long solar panel wings in the foreground.

The BepiColombo spacecraft, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), could feel the heat even before it reaches its destination: Mercury. Thanks to a malfunction, the spacecraft’s thrusters are no longer operating at full power. The team has yet to determine how this will affect upcoming maneuvers, such … Read more