BepiColombo's Final Mercury Flyby Delivers Icy Surprises

On January 8, 2025, ESA and JAXA's UK-built BepiColombo wrapped up its sixth Mercury flyby, swooping as close as 295 km over the north pole. The spacecraft snapped stunning images of icy craters like Prokofiev and Tolkien, plus dazzling volcanic plains. With its monitoring cameras waving goodbye, BepiColombo gears up for orbit in late 2026. Scientists are buzzing over hints of frozen water and Mercury’s fiery past—proof that even scorched planets have their cool secrets.