CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA (news - web sites) is about to embark on its hottest mission ever, to Mercury. The Messenger spacecraft, to be launched
next week, will be blasted by up to 700-degree heat as it orbits the tiny planet closest to the sun � so close that it would be as though 11 suns were
beating down on Earth.
Now that is cool-no pun intened. I wonder if it can be shielded well enough from the heat and radiation being given off bu the sun. I would love to
see some close up photos of the planet. Would'nt it be interesting if structures like on mars were found.