A Mercury Rover Could Explore the Planet by Sticking to the Terminator

A view of Mercury's Terminator region, as seen by NASA's MESSENGER probe. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A Mercury lander mission would create opportunities to sample unique geological features. However, extreme temperature fluctuations on Mercury’s surface pose challenges for exploration on the planetary surface. In a narrow region near the terminator, temperate conditions would allow a rover to run on solar power and collect data and surface samples without needing to withstand the extreme heat.

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