Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. David Blewett, Dr. David Livingston.  Topics:  Mercury with Messenger and now BepiColombo.  You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce.  This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.  Remember, your Amazon Purchases Can Help Support The Space Show/OGLF (www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.  Please note that audio and transition issues are a result of copying the John Batchelor broadcast & are not within my control as they originate in the Batchelor studio.

John Batchelor and I welcomed Dr. David Blewett of the Applied Physics Lab to talk about the planet Mercury, the previous Messenger mission and the current ESA-Japanese mission on the way to Mercury, BepiColombo.  Dr. Blewett talked about the spacecraft instrumentation and the improved capabilities with the BepiColombo instrument package. We also talked about the surface rocks of Mercury, volcanic activity, and water ice in the areas of permanent shadow which he fully described for us.  Our guest also talked about the two part BepiColombo mission with the Japanese satellite exploring the outer environment of Mercury and the ESA part coming in very close to the surface of Mercury.  Other questions and topics came up, including questions about the technology used in both missions.

You can email Mr. Batchelor or Dr. Blewett through me at drspace@thespaceshow.com.  Dr. Blewett can also be reached through his Applied Physics Lab website.