Europe–Japan Lead Mercury Science

After an eight‑year cruise the ESA–JAXA BepiColombo twin orbiters have begun orbiting Mercury to map its interior, exosphere and magnetic field and to run precision tests of general relativity. The mission will produce new gravity, compositional, and magnetospheric datasets that can revise models of planetary formation and solar‑system dynamics. — The mission’s data and the fact of a successful non‑U.S. flagship planetary effort affect public debates on space budgets, international science cooperation, and strategic technology leadership.