BepiColombo: The Italian Scientific Participation Enrico Flamini – Workshop ASI 2008

MARINER 10 So far Mercury has been explored only by the NASA Mariner 10, during its 3 fly-bys between , more then 30 years ago! Only 45% of the planet surface has been covered by SC images and the resolution is barely enough to show major features Mariner had on board a Vidicom camera equipped with a smart narrow angle telescope that could operate also as wide angle with the insertion of a lens mounted on the filter wheel.

MARINER 10 The orbital constraints allowed a maximum resolution of the order of 0.1km at few locations. The first 2 fly-bys allowed a full retrieval of all the acquired images while the 3°, due to a failure in the tape recorder, allowed only to receive part of the images. Furthermore the orbital period of Mariner 10 around the Sun was 2 times the period of Mercury then the 2/3 resonance between rotation and orbital periods allowed to image only the same hemisphere during the 3 fly-bys. Despite these limitations Mariner has been a beautiful and successful mission that provide the discovery of the Hermean magnetic field the existence of an exosphere, measure of the surface temperature and provided the possibility to classify for the first time the Hermean terrains and deduce information on the mineralogy and morphology.

34 Years Later: MESSENGER August 3, MESSENGER Launch August Earth flyby October Venus flyby June Venus flyby January Mercury flyby October Mercury flyby September Mercury flyby March Yearlong science orbit

45 years after BepiColombo MMO MPO

BepiColombo: Mission History 1993Proposal for Mercury Mission in Response to Call for Missions May 1993 (Balogh) 1993/94Internal Assessment Study, 7 month 1996Mission selected as Cornerstone candidate for Horizon April4 month interim study  input for industrial system and technology study (Alenia) 1998 April Alenia Study 1 year duration 2000 Jan-FebCDF study by ESA 2000 April System and Technology Study Report by ESA 2000 NovSelection as ESA Cornerstone 2001/02Competitive BepiColombo Industrial Definition Studies (Alenia, Astrium) mid 2001 until end 2002 (Final presentation: Oct. 2002) 2001 Nov.Ministerial Conference  severe budget reduction, drop of the lander 2002 Oct.Start of mission re-assessment by ESA SCI-A 2003 Jun.End of mission re-assessment  Reassessment Report  new mission scenario (single launch composite, new procurement approach for integrated payload suite) 2003 Nov. SPC approval of New Mission Scenario and Payload Confirmation Process 2004 Feb. SPC approval of Science Management Plan  Release of Request for Proposals Start of Industrial Definition Phase 2 Studies 2004 Nov.Endorsement of MPO Payload Selection 2005 MayDelay of ITT release 2005 Sep.Delay of Launch to August Nov.Approval of MPO Payload 2006 Feb.SPC Confirmation and ITT Release Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo

Orbital Comparison

MPO Payload BELALaser Altimeter * N. Thomas / T. Spohn ISAItalian Spring AccelerometerV. Iafolla MERMAGMagnetometer * K.H. Glassmeier MERTISThermal IR SpectrometerE.K. Jessberger MGNSGamma Ray/Neutron Spectr. * I. Mitrofanov MIXSX-ray Spectrometer * G. Fraser SIXSSolar MonitorJ. Houvelin MORERadio Science L. Iess Ka-band Transponder * PHEBUSUV SpectrometerE. Chassefière SERENANeutral Particle Analyser/S. Orsini Ion Spectrometers SIMBIO-SYSHigh Res.+ Stereo Cameras E. Flamini Visual and NIR Spectrometer * * * Also on Messenger ** olny Hi Res and NIR spectrometer on Messenger

MMO Payload MERMAG-M/MGF Mercury Magnetometer W. Baumjohann MPPEMercury Plasma Particle Experiment Y. Saito PWI Plasma Wave Instrument H. Matsumoto MSASI Mercury Sodium Atm. Spectral Imager I. Yoshikawa MDM Mercury Dust Monitor K. Nogami