Europe, Japan send spacecraft on 7-year journey to Mercury

European and Japanese space agencies said an Ariane 5 rocket successfully lifted a spacecraft carrying two probes into orbit today for a joint mission to Mercury, the planet closest to the sun.<br />'' &nbsp;<br />'' The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency jointly said, the unmanned Bepi Colombo spacecraft successfully separated and was sent into orbit from French Guiana as planned to begin a seven-year journey to Mercury.<br />'' &nbsp;<...