SIMBIO-SYS, one of the main science instruments on the BepiColombo mission to Mercury, switched on its three optical channels in their final configuration for the first time and captured its first image on 15 September 2026, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) announced. The first data confirmed that the instrument is working correctly.
SIMBIO-SYS combines three different eyes: a stereo camera that will allow the first global 3D map of Mercury, at about 60 metres per pixel; a high-resolution camera, at about 6 metres per pixel; and a spectrometer that identifies the materials and minerals on the surface. In this first look at the sky, the stereo camera recorded several stars.
The instrument was developed with support from ASI and the French space agency CNES, with the science led by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) and Leonardo as industrial partner. The principal investigator is Gabriele Cremonese of INAF, and the team includes about 118 scientists and engineers from 12 countries.
BepiColombo, launched in October 2018, is due to begin entering orbit around Mercury on 21 November 2026. The separation of the two probes, from ESA and the Japanese agency JAXA, is planned for December, and the science mission is expected to start in April 2027.
