BepiColombo is launching on 20 October from the European spaceport Kourou in French Guiana and should enter orbit around Mercury seven years later.
The space mission, named after the renowned mathematician Guiseppe Colombo, is a joint initiative of the European and Japanese space agencies, ESA and Jaxa, explains RUAG in a statement.
During the journey, two separate orbits of the planet nearest the sun will determine the chemical and geological compositions of its surface, with technology provided by RUAG Space critical to almost every stage of the mission.
The Zurich company provided a payload fairing to protect the Ariane5 rocket from the earth’s atmosphere as it transports the two probes and transport module into space. It also developed and produced the aluminium structure of the probes, and manufactured the positioning mechanisms for the solar panels, according to the statement. RUAG Space in Austria supplied the electronic steering components.
“Almost every European satellite is protected from extreme heat and cold in space by thermal insulation from RUAG Space,” writes RUAG in the statement. Because of Mercury’s proximity to the sun and its subsequently extreme heat of over 450 degrees Celsius, the new spacecraft too is fitted with RUAG Space technology. Made of ceramic fibers on the outside, the insulation also serves as protection against micrometeorites.
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