Mercury trip craft cruising

A SPACECRAFT built in Britain has entered cruise mode on its five-billionmile trip to Mercury.

BepiColombo launched Saturday with two orbiters to probe the planet.

After blast-off at French Guiana, South America, “selfies” showed its 98ft solar panels had deployed.

BepiColombo will arrive on December 5, 2025. The orbiters will then detach.

European Space Agency’s Gunther Hasinger said: “There is a long and exciting road ahead of us.”