Just dropping by to give this thread a little nudge ahead of the upcoming first flyby of Mercury this week on 23:34 UTC, 1 October (01:34 CEST, 2 October). Perhaps I'm not the only one for whom this flyby has kinda crept up on under the radar.
Mercury ahead!
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Spa...ercury_ahead%21QUOTE
During the flybys it is not possible to take high-resolution imagery with the main science camera because it is shielded by the transfer module while the spacecraft is in cruise configuration. However, two of BepiColombo’s three monitoring cameras (MCAMs) will be taking photos from about five minutes after the time of close approach and up to four hours later. Because BepiColombo is arriving on the planet’s nightside, conditions are not ideal to take images directly at the closest approach, thus the closest image will be captured from a distance of about 1000 km.
QUOTE
The first image to be downlinked will be from about 30 minutes after closest approach, and is expected to be available for public release at around 08:00 CEST on Saturday morning. The close approach and subsequent images will be downlinked one by one during Saturday morning.
QUOTE
Even though BepiColombo is in ‘stacked’ cruise configuration for the flybys, it will be possible to operate some of the science instruments on both planetary orbiters, allowing a first taste of the planet’s magnetic, plasma and particle environment.