The radio science experiment with BepiColombo mission to Mercury

Abstract

BepiColombo is a joint ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury with challenging objectives regarding geophysics, geodesy and fundamental physics. The Mercury Orbiter Radio science Experiment (MORE) is one of the on-board experiments, including three different but linked experiments: gravimetry, rotation and relativity. Using radio observables (range and range-rate) performed with very accurate tracking from ground stations, together with optical observations from the on-board high resolution camera (SIMBIO-SYS) and accelerometer readings from the on-board accelerometer (ISA), MORE will be able to measure with unprecedented accuracy the global gravity field of Mercury and the rotation state of the planet. In this work we present the results of a numerical full-cycle simulation of the gravimetry and rotation experiments of MORE: we discuss the accuracies which can be achieved, focussing in particular on the possible benefits from the use of optical observations in support to the tracking measurements.