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Space agency one step closer to Mercury
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by Rob Peters | January 18, 2008 at 03:13 pm
707 views | 5 Recommendations | 5 comments
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The first planet from the sun has never been so hot. First it was new Mercury photos making headlines this week, and now a contract to make a Mercury-bound spacecraft. It's exciting stuff--more giant steps for humankind.
The European Space Agency has finalized the contract to build key components of its BepiColombo spacecraft, designed to reach Mercury in 2019.The agency said Friday that Astrium, Europe's largest space company, will build the spacecraft and the module that will carry the European and Japanese orbiters that will be doing the actual research.
The orbiters "will address scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of a planet close to its parent star, the status of the planet’s interior and of its magnetic field, as well as a test of Einstein’s theory of general relativity,” Johannes Benkhoff, European Space Agency (ESA) project scientist for BepiColombo, said in a release.
BepiColumbo is scheduled to launch in August 2013.
BepiColombo will cost the ESA $999 million, with the instruments for the agency's orbiter running another $300 million.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (5)
at 16:16 on January 18th, 2008
Hi Rob,
It's stories like this that get me excited!
Do you have any other information other than what was in that news article?
What does this mean to you, to us .. if anything?
I'll be back ....
~ Swan
at 17:44 on January 18th, 2008
This image of the Sun was taken during last year's Mercury transit event. The outline of Mercury can be seen as it passed between the Sun and Earth.
DavidJThomas has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:14 on January 18th, 2008
streetranger has contributed a photo to this story.
at 20:20 on January 18th, 2008
You have heard of Mockmirages of the sun and moon
and green flashes of the sun and rarly the moon well i was out shooting and saw Mercury setting with my 800mm lens the planet was warping and bending useing Livevew on my canon 40D 10x digital zoom mode to get really close view and a rare green flash on Mercury was seen and photographed...
streetranger has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:16 on January 22nd, 2008
Whilst taking my baby daughter for a walk around the local common (Tooting Bec), I happened to look up and discover this 'Micro Solar System'. I was of course astonished to see thousands of planets surrounding the creative energy - the tree.
For your viewing and thinking pleasure...
Khaalis has contributed a photo to this story.