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MPO : Mercury Planetary Orbiter |
Japanese page>>
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More Information:
ESA/BepiColombo homepage
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MPO [Mercury Planetary Orbiter] : Objectives |
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The MPO spacecraft is set up mainly for the studies of surface and internal structure of Mercury.
ESA will develop and operate to and on the Mercury orbit.
Mercury was formed in the area nearest to the sun.
The unique interior and unique surface, such as a huge main nucleus,
serve important keys for the origin and evolution of planets in solar system formation.
The MPO spaccraft aims at the following targets:
- Internal structure of Mercury
with huge iron core (3/4 of the whole radius)
will be investigated with detailed all sphere mapping of gravity and magnetic field.
- The geology with the figures remained from early stages of formation
including all surfaces provides the important information for the origin and evolution of Mercury.
- Mineral and element compositions
acquire keys to the origin of Mercury,
by the remote sensing of infrared, UV, X-ray, a gamma ray, and neutron,
and direct measurement of the gas emitted from the surface.
- Ice in the polar region
Verify the existence of 'water ice' by the gamma ray and neutron observation.
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MPO spacecraft: Overview |
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The MPO is a 3-axis controled spacecraft.
This is for continuing attitude control of the cameras and various spectrometers / sensors
toward the planet surface directly below the spacecraft.
Since the continuous aiming of the MPO spacecraft enables much high-quality observations.
To guard from powerful sunlight,
the sun shield side is continuously covering the spacecraft
in order to keep the temperature of the spacecraft in moderate level.
MPO orbit is near the circle, with altitude of "400km at periherm and 1500km at apoherm",
in order to make detailed mapping of surface and internal structure.
MPO works as 'a head' of the Mercury Composite System (MCS),
joint system of MPO, MMO and propulsion modules "SEPM" (electric propulsion module) and "CPM" (chemistry promotion module).
After arrival, the MPO separete SEPM, MMO, and CPM,
and will act as an independent orbiter around Mercury.
The MPO spacecraft will be operated by
ESA / ESOC (European Space Operation Center) in Germany.
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MPO spacecraft: Payload Selection |
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Payloads for MMO and MPO spacecraft was selected by the international payload review comittee in fall 2004.
Now, several joint payload teams with Japanese and European scientists
actively make design and development efforts.
Moreover, the observation plan after the Mercury arrival will draw up and carry out by the
"BepiColombo Science Working Team" which involved in not only the payload development members
but also the theoretical researchers in both Europe and Japan.
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BepiColombo: Spacecraft |
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