Future observations of and missions to Mercury

Key scientific objectives of Mercury explorations are discussed, and the methods by which remote observations of Mercury can be carried out from earth and from space are examined. Attention is also given to the scientific rationale and technical concepts for missions to Mercury. It is pointed out that multiple Venus-Mercury encounter trajectories exist which, through successive gravity assists, reduce mission performance requirements to levels deliverable by available systems, such as Titan-Centaur, Atlas-Centaur, and Shuttle/TOS. It is shown that a single launch in July of 1994, using a Titan-Centaur combination, could place a 1477-kg payload into orbit around Meercury. The components of a Mercury-orbiter payload designed to study surface geology and geochemistry, atmospheric composition and structure, the local particle and fields environment, and solid-body rotation dynamics are listed.