This is John Batchel, speaking with colleague Bob Zimmerman, about the mission to Mercury,

the closest planet to the sun, very hot.

Beppe Colombo, it's part European, it's part Japanese.

The flyby has taken years, as Bob explains, because of the pull of the sun,

and the orbital mechanics require

time to get into orbit around Mercury. It's about to go into orbit. Bob puts a picture up that's a

fascination. There's long been speculation that there's water ice on Mercury despite the heat. Why? Because

there are craters or maybe craters

that are permanently shattered.

Here's Bob Zimmerman to explain.

Beppe Colombo,

its mission now that it's reached the planet,

what comes next,

and also those craters.

More of this later tonight

from Bob Zimmerman at Behind the Black.

Debbie Colombo completed its last flyby of Mercury a few days ago.

It dropped down to under 200 miles of the surface.

It dipped across the North Pole of Mercury in doing so.

And it is now prepared to enter orbit of Mercury in late of 26.

When it does so, Beppo Colombo will then split into two different orbiters,

one put together by the European Space Agency and the other put together by Japan's

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