Mission control is trying 'restlessly' to save a spacecraft to Mercury

A complex mission to Mercury that began its epic space voyage six years ago has encountered critical thrust problems that controllers say could imperil plans to study the closest planet to the sun. BepiColombo, a joint European and Japanese mission, is on its way to reach Mercury on Sept. 5 for the first of three crucial flybys intended to put the robotic spacecraft on the correct course around the planet next year. In October 2025, its two science probes — one operated by the Europea