BepiColombo, ESA's Mercury Cornerstone mission

The paper presents the results of the definition studies performed for the European Space Agency (ESA) on system architectures and enabling technologies for "BepiColombo", a Cornerstone class mission to be launched in the 2007-2009 time frame. The scientific mission comprises 1-year observations by a Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), dedicated to remote sensing, and a Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), dedicated to particles and fields, plus short-duration in situ analysis by a Mercury surface element (MSE). A flexible approach to the programme has been developed, comprising two alternative launch scenarios. In the first option (2009), the 2500-kg class satellite composite, including two propulsion modules and three scientific modules, is launched by an Ariane-5. The trajectory design is based on Venus and Mercury gravity assists plus the thrust provided by a Solar Electric Propulsion Module (SEPM), that is jettisoned before being captured into Mercury orbit. Capture and orbit insertion, executed by successive manoeuvres. of a Chemical Propulsion Module (CPM), occur less than 2.5 yr after launch. In the second scenario, the mission is split into two launches of a small launch vehicle. Two 1200-ka class composites are launched either in the same one-month window or at an interval of 1.6 yr. One composite comprises the SEPM, CPM, MMO and MSE and the other comprises duplicate SEPM+CPM and the MPO. The trajectory design follows the same principles as the Ariane-5 mission, with the SEPM thrust reduced by half and cruise duration ranging between 2.3 and 3.5 yr. Whatever be the implementation, the mission is expected to return about 1700 Gbit of scientific data during the one-year observation phase. The crucial aspects of the spacecraft design are associated with, and constrained by, the high-temperature and high-radiation environment. Basic feasibility has been demonstrated by an extensive design and analysis exercise, and the focus of the programme has now moved to a 3-year preparatory programme dedicated for developing the enabling technologies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.