BepiColombo begins first operational engine burn
The European/Japanese mission to Mercury has begun the first operational firing of its four ion engines, set to last for the next two months.
This might seem like a ridiculously long burn, since most conventional rocket engines fire for minutes, not months. These are ion engines, however, far more efficient but producing a very tiny acceleration. It takes a long time for their burns to accumulate a velocity change.
The European/Japanese mission to Mercury has begun the first operational firing of its four ion engines, set to last for the next two months.
This might seem like a ridiculously long burn, since most conventional rocket engines fire for minutes, not months. These are ion engines, however, far more efficient but producing a very tiny acceleration. It takes a long time for their burns to accumulate a velocity change.