A pair of spacecraft draw closer to Mercury after nearly decade-long voyage

Two Mercury-bound spacecraft successfully separated from their cruiser on Thursday, marking the final stage of a nearly decade-long journey to the solar system's smallest planet. The mission, a collaborative effort involving European and Japanese space agencies, is now on the home stretch toward its destination.

Following the separation, mission controllers experienced a two-hour delay before receiving radio confirmation that the maneuver had been completed as planned. The spacecraft are now proceeding independently toward Mercury.