Today, BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module separated from the spacecraft, marking a major milestone nearly eight years after the mission began aboard Ariane 5. On 20 October 2018, Ariane 5 launched BepiColombo from Europe’s Spaceport and placed it on an Earth-escape trajectory at 10.99 km/s, nearly 40,000 km/h. It was the first time an Ariane 5 ECA had performed this type of mission. Since then, the ESA-JAXA mission has travelled billions of kilometres through the inner Solar System to reach Mercury. As the mission enters its final approach, we’re proud to have played a part in this extraordinary journey. #BepiColombo #LaunchingAmbitions @esa @JAXA_jp

🚀 The power of launch. Mission VA270 marked Ariane 6's first flight to geostationary transfer orbit, carrying the MTG-I2 meteorological satellite into space. Experience lift-off once again through these striking images, capturing the power, precision and emotion of launch day at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. #Arianespace #VA270 #Ariane6 @eumetsat @esa @ArianeGroup @CNES @EuropeSpacePort @Thales_Alenia_S

✅ Mission accomplished for VA270. Arianespace has successfully launched MTG-I2 aboard Ariane 6, completing its first mission to geostationary transfer orbit. The MTG-I2 satellite has been developed by ESA for EUMETSAT and built by a European industrial consortium led by Thales Alenia Space, with OHB System and Leonardo as main partners. The MTG-I2 satellite will strengthen Europe's next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite system, supporting weather forecasting, climate monitoring and the early detection of severe weather events. This successful mission is the result of the expertise and commitment of the teams at Arianespace, ESA, EUMETSAT and the European industrial consortium, working together to ensure the continuity of Europe's operational meteorological services. Read the full press release: arianespace.pulse.ly/o27pphd… #Arianespace #VA270 #Ariane6 @eumetsat @esa @Thales_Alenia_S @ArianeGroup @CNES @EuropeSpacePort