BepiColombo slows down at Venus en route to Mercury

Approaching Venus from its day side, passing the planet, using its gravitational pull to slow down and continuing on its night side on course for Mercury: On Thursday 15 October 2020, at 05:58 CEST, ESA’s BepiColombo spacecraft will fly past Venus at a distance of approximately 10,720 kilometers and transfer some of its kinetic energy to our neighboring planet in order to reduce its own speed.