BEpiColombo Mercury mission suffers thruster problem
Posted: Sun, May 19, 2024, 7:55 AM ET (1155 GMT)
Engineers are troubleshooting a problem with the electric propulsion system on the BepiColombo mission. That spacecraft, a joint mission of ESA and JAXA, will go into orbit around Mercury after performing several flybys, using electric thrusters to adjust its trajectory. Those thrusters lost power last month just before the next scheduled maneuver. By last week the thrusters were back to 90% of their original power, but the spacecraft is still suffering from reduced electrical power. ESA said that BepiColombo should still be able to perform its next Mercury flyby in September as engineers work to determine how reduced power levels might affect future maneuvers if the problem cannot be fixed.
Engineers are troubleshooting a problem with the electric propulsion system on the BepiColombo mission. That spacecraft, a joint mission of ESA and JAXA, will go into orbit around Mercury after performing several flybys, using electric thrusters to adjust its trajectory. Those thrusters lost power last month just before the next scheduled maneuver. By last week the thrusters were back to 90% of their original power, but the spacecraft is still suffering from reduced electrical power. ESA said that BepiColombo should still be able to perform its next Mercury flyby in September as engineers work to determine how reduced power levels might affect future maneuvers if the problem cannot be fixed.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Blue Origin describes plans for increased New Glenn launch rates
Posted: Sat, Oct 17 11:41 AM ET (1541 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, October 23
Help a lost lunar rover find its way in new ESA competition
ESA — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT) Aussie astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg in running to join European space mission
NEWS.com.au — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT) Throttling Starlink Is a Disaster for Ukraine and the United States
CSIS — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT) Trump Says Starlink Limits Are Gone—Ukraine Says the Signal Still Dies at 100 MPH
United24 Media — 6:40 am ET (1040 GMT) Starlink still restricted for Ukraine despite Trump saying Musk lifted speed limits
POLITICO — 6:39 am ET (1039 GMT) |
