MIO Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter spacecraft
Mio, formerly the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), is JAXA's spin-stabilized BepiColombo spacecraft for investigating Mercury's magnetic field, plasma, thin atmosphere and dust. Its five instrument suites complement MPO's planetary measurements, allowing scientists to distinguish Mercury's own field from solar-wind effects. Following transfer-module separation in September 2026, Mio remains attached to and powered by MPO; deployment into its separate orbit is planned for December 2026.
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Identity
- Aliases
- MIOMioMercury Magnetospheric OrbiterMMOBepiColombo MMO
- Family Name
- MIO
- Full Name
- MIO Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter spacecraft
- Roles
- orbiterresearch
- Status
- active
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Mio, formerly the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO), is JAXA's spin-stabilized BepiColombo spacecraft for investigating Mercury's magnetic field, plasma, thin atmosphere and dust. Its five instrument suites complement MPO's planetary measurements, allowing scientists to distinguish Mercury's own field from solar-wind effects. Following transfer-module separation in September 2026, Mio remains attached to and powered by MPO; deployment into its separate orbit is planned for December 2026.
- First Flight Year
- 2,018
Links
- Official Url
- https://mio.isas.jaxa.jp/en/mission/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 00:35:18 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 13:11:32 UTC