Not much is known about the solar system's smallest and least-explored planet, Mercury.
Scientists are hoping to change that.
The key to their plan is the BepiColombo, a spacecraft launched on Saturday.
It will take seven years to reach Mercury, the nearest planet to the sun. The scientists hope to gather data on the surface and internal structure of the planet and to examine its geological evolution.
Al Jazeera's Victoria Gatenby reports.
