The European-Japanese BepiColombo spacecraft, which is heading to the planet closest to the Sun, is planned to reach Mercury in December 2025, according to its mission plan. However, this will not happen. BepiColombo is planned to fly by Mercury on September 4, but will have to wait a long time to enter orbit due to problems with the vehicle’s engines.

The European Space Agency previously reported that the problems arose on April 26, when BepiColombo was expected to begin another manoeuvre. The flight module was unable to provide enough electricity to the spacecraft’s engines.

In early May, engineers managed to restore the BepiColombo train to about 90% of its previous level, but this proved insufficient.

Fortunately, the issue does not jeopardize the mission’s long-term success. Engineers have found a workaround to compensate for the probe’s reduced thrust and preserve the science mission by calculating a new orbit. The maneuver will allow BepiColombo to fly about 35 kilometers closer to the planet than originally planned, reducing thrust requirements for the fifth flight. A sixth flight will then help the device enter orbit.

Thanks to the new flight path, BepiColombo It will arrive at Mercury in November 2026.