----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Moomaw" <moomaw@...>
To: "ISSDG" <issdg@egroups.com>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 3:13 AM
Subject: [ISSDG] Latest news on BepiColombo


> There's a very interesting press release from Japan's space agency
ISAS --
> www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=3263 -- stating that ISAS will
> actually be the dominating partner in the BepiColombo Mercury probe,
"taking
> charge of the system design, manufacture and operation, while
forging ahead
> with a plan to entrust the scientific aspect to international
cooperation
> centering on Japan and Europe."
>
> By the way, during the discussions of inner-planet exploration
strategy at
> October's Solar System Exploration Subcommittee meeting, there were
no
> denunciations of BepiColombo -- but it was repeatedly stated that
Messenger
> and BepiColombo together will make it "unnecessary to launch any
more
> Mercury missions for the foreseeable future". Actually, this
strikes me as
> a mistake -- a network of a few small Mercury landers for
> surface-composition, heat flow, magnetic and (especially) seismic
studies
> could add a great deal to our understanding of the planet. Which is
still
> another reason why I think ESA missed the mark in its design of
BepiColombo.
>
> Bruce Moomaw
>
>
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