The recent issue with BepiColombo’s propulsion system could risk its ability to complete its upcoming gravity assist.

The propulsion system designed to carry MESSENGER through a six-year, nearly 4-billion mile trip to and around Mercury is complete, marking a major step in the NASA Discovery mission’s development.

The Mercury Transfer Module is equipped with solar arrays and an electric propulsion system used to generate thrust.

The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission is on its way to Mercury, but instead of coasting to the smallest planet in the Solar System, it will be helped along by four state-of-the-art ion thrusters ...

QinetiQ just announced a £23m contract with EADS Astrium for the supply of its propulsion system for the BepiColombo mission.