a Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), 3-1-1, Yoshinodai Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan
b NEC-TOSHIBA Space Systems, Ltd., 4035 Ikebecho, Tuzuki-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 224-8555, Japan
Abstract:
This paper shows the current baseline of the conceptual design of the BepiColombo/MMO (mercury magnetospheric orbiter) spacecraft, which is conducted by the ISAS Mercury Exploration Working Group. The MMO is a spinning spacecraft of 200 kg mass whose spin axis is nearly perpendicular to the Mercury orbital plane. The current status of the overall MMO system and subsystems such as thermal control, communication, power, etc. are described. The latest status of the development of critical technologies for the MMO and the outline of the international cooperation between ESA and ISAS are also presented.