Mission
ESA’s BepiColombo mission to planet Mercury is a cornerstone in the scientific program of the Agency. However, it is a challenging one: in fact, Solar heat fluxes may be 10 times higher than those experienced on Earth! Further, the extreme temperature gradients observed around Mercury make the orbiting spacecraft receive a highly varying load of planetary fluxes.
The PIPS is a monitor of radiation being developed for future space missions, such as BepiColombo, an ESA cornerstone mission to the planet Mercury.

Case Study
Active Space Technologies is responsible for the phases A and B thermal analysis of the PIPS (Portuguese Interplanetary Particle Surveyor), an instrument developed by EFACEC, which will be launched onboard the Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO).