The Italian instrument Simbio-Sys, installed on the BepiColombo spacecraft, has been successfully switched on. The mission to Mercury is a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese agency JAXA.
The first image was taken on 15 September, a sign that the equipment is working as planned. The spacecraft is due to enter Mercury’s orbit on 21 November, and the mission’s science phase is expected to begin in April 2027.
Development was supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the French agency CNES. The scientific component is led by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), and the company Leonardo took part as industrial partner.
Simbio-Sys has three channels: a stereo camera to create a 3D map of Mercury, a high-resolution camera to observe surface details, and a visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer able to identify materials from reflected light.
