Watch live: BepiColombo begins its arrival at Mercury

After eight years traveling as a stacked spacecraft, the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission is entering its Mercury Arrival Phase. On 3 September 2026, ESA's Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) — which powered the interplanetary journey — will separate from the mission's two science orbiters at ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. This separation is the first step in what ESA describes as one of the most demanding operational sequences ever attempted by the agency, reflecting the difficulty of arriving at Mercury.

Following MTM separation on 3 September, teams on Earth will await acquisition of signal and perform initial health checks. In November 2026, ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio) will enter orbit around Mercury together, and will separate from each other in December 2026. Science operations are scheduled to begin in April 2027.

ESA will livestream the critical milestone from its Main Control Room at ESOC. The broadcast begins at 13:45 CEST on 3 September, with MTM separation scheduled for 14:00 CEST. After a break, coverage resumes at 15:30 CEST; the earliest expected acquisition of signal is 15:53 CEST, followed by a spacecraft status check, with the livestream ending around 16:15–16:45 CEST. ESA and JAXA experts will offer behind-the-scenes insights and analysis. Viewers can follow on ESA's YouTube and LinkedIn, using #BepiColombo and #AskESA.