Science & Tech · Space · 18 hrs ago
Scientists say Mercury needs a lander to solve its biggest mysteries
Mercury remains one of the least explored planets, and scientists say a lander is needed to understand it better.
NASA’s Mariner 10 flew past Mercury three times in the 1970s, and the MESSENGER spacecraft later orbited it for about four years.
The European and Japanese space agencies’ BepiColombo mission is expected to enter orbit late next month, but it is not expected to begin collecting science data until April 2027.
Mercury’s iron-rich core may make up about 85 percent of its radius, and scientists have not settled on why it is so large.
Mercury also has a global magnetic field, weaker than Earth’s, that is thought to be generated by movement in its liquid core.
A lander could examine the planet’s surface and interior, but landing and operating there would be technically difficult and expensive.
No mission is planned after BepiColombo, so Mercury’s main scientific puzzles may remain unresolved without a future lander.
Mercury remains poorly understood, and scientists say a lander is needed to investigate its surface and interior.
A lander could help answer questions about the planet’s unusually large iron-rich core and weak global magnetic field.
Sending a lander would be technically challenging and expensive.
BepiColombo is the only mission currently expected to provide new data about Mercury, but it is not expected to begin science observations until April 2027.
- Who
- Scientists including planetary scientist Paul Byrne and researcher Anne Pommier say a lander is the next step in exploring Mercury.
- What
- Scientists say a lander is needed to investigate Mercury’s surface composition and interior.
- When
- BepiColombo is not expected to start collecting science data until April 2027.
- Where
- Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system.
- Why
- A lander could help resolve questions about Mercury’s large iron-rich core and magnetic field.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
NASA’s Mariner 10 made three fly-bys of Mercury.
NASA’s MESSENGER mission entered orbit around Mercury.
BepiColombo is expected to begin taking science data.
- Mariner 10
- Three Mercury fly-bys between 1974 and 1975
- MESSENGER
- Entered Mercury orbit in 2011 and orbited for about four years
- Mercury’s core
- Thought to make up about 85 percent of the planet’s radius
- Mercury’s magnetic field
- Approximately 100 times weaker than Earth’s surface field
- BepiColombo science data
- Expected to begin in April 2027
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