水星探査機、到着１年延期　エンジン不調で―ＪＡＸＡなど

　欧州宇宙機関（ＥＳＡ）と宇宙航空研究開発機構（ＪＡＸＡ）は３日までに、日欧共同の水星探査計画「ベピコロンボ」の探査機２機の水星到着を２０２５年１２月から２６年１１月に延期すると発表した。イオンエンジンの電源系の不具合が原因としている。
　ベピコロンボは、太陽系の惑星で最も内側を回る水星の磁場や大気などの環境を詳しく調べる計画。１８年１０月、磁場などを観測するＪＡＸＡの「みお」と、表面の様子を調べるＥＳＡの「ＭＰＯ」が結合した状態で打ち上げられ、水星に向けて航行を続けている。（2024/09/03-17:21）

The arrival time of two spacecraft traveling to Mercury under a Japan-Europe joint exploration mission will be delayed to November 2026 from December 2025, the Japanese and European space agencies have said.
   The new schedule was decided after a malfunction of the power supply system for the spacecraft, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, and the European Space Agency said.
   The mission, named BepiColombo, is aimed at studying in detail the environment of Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system, including its magnetic field and atmosphere.
   In October 2018, JAXA's Mio and ESA's MPO probes, designed to observe mainly magnetic fields and examine the surface of Mercury, respectively, were launched joined together.
   In May this year, it turned out that a malfunction in the power supply system was preventing full ion engine operations. The space agencies re-examined their trajectory plan until the arrival and changed the timetable of putting them into orbit around Mercury. The schedule change will have no impact on the operations of Mio and MPO, according to the agencies.