Russian aerospace company to send mission to Mercury in 4-5 years

FARNBOROUGH - Russian NPO Lavochkin intends to send an interplanetary research mission to Mercury in 4-5 years, Lavochkin's deputy general designer said at the Farnborough International Airshow 2010.

"[The mission will consist of] a flight to Mercury and a landing on its surface," Maxim Martynov said. "We assume that the device will be a modified Phobos-Grunt satellite."

He added that the NPO is currently engaged in a pre-design mission.

Martynov also said that similar missions are plan [...]

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