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 Artist's rendering of theMercury-P spacecraft withDvina-TM solar-electric transport module | |
| Mission type | Mercury exploration |
|---|---|
| Operator | Roscosmos |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| BOL mass | 8,120 kg (17,900 lb)[1] |
| Landing mass | 710 kg (1,570 lb)[2] |
| Payload mass | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET 2030s[3][4] |
| Rocket | Soyuz-2[1] |
| Mercury orbiter | |
| Mercury lander | |
Mercury-P (Russian:Меркурий-П) is a mission concept for an orbiter and lander by theRussian Federal Space Agency to study the planetMercury.[1] The letter P inMercury-P stands for the Russian word 'posadka', meaning landing.[1]
Mercury-P would be the first soft lander on Mercury. A proposed flight scenario for the mission included a flyby ofVenus, the insertion of the spacecraft into the orbit around Mercury (possibly by use of a Dvina solar-electric tug),[1] and the delivery of a lander on its surface. The Institute of Space Research studied the possibility of "recycling" hardware developed for the Phobos-Grunt, Mars-NET,Mars-96, andSolar Sail spacecraft, with proposed upgrades of the hardware.[1] As of 2012[update], Russian scientists have conducted a preliminary concept study of the project, and compiled a list of the required scientific payload.[1][3]
As a result of the failure of thePhobos-Grunt, several Russian planetary exploration proposals derived from its design were delayed into the 2030s, including Mercury-P.
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