The probe will use gravity like a slingshot on its seven-year voyage to Mercury. : The European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its BepiColombo mission to the planet Mercury from its spaceport near the equator in Kourou, French Guyana, on October 20. My involvement in the mission means that I will be anxiously following the journey as the spacecraft carries out a series of tricky manoeuvers, culminating in its final approach to Mercury in 2025.