Mercury TPOD: Magnetic Field & Fried Satellite?

[Lloyd]

How does a Satellite Survive at Mercury?
- Today's TPOD at http://thunderbolts.info/tpod/2008/arch ... ercury.htm made me wonder how a satellite can function at the orbit of Mercury. This site http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/OlesyaNisanov.shtml says the sunlit side of Mercury gets up to 800 degrees F, while the dark side gets down to -300 F. How can a satellite function at 800 degrees? Isn't space 800 degrees over Mercury, if it's surface is that hot? Isn't 800 degrees enough to melt many of a satellite's components?
- The TPOD says scientists don't understand how Mercury can have a magnetic field. This site http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/Sta ... rcury.html says "Scientists theorize that Mercury's field is due to an iron-bearing core or possibly to the solar winds."
- If some scientists think the field is caused by the solar wind, doesn't that mean they believe electric currents exist in space? Shouldn't someone find out who those scientists are and congratulate them and maybe introduce them to EU theory?

[nick c]

Hello Lloyd,

If some scientists think the field is caused by the solar wind, doesn't that mean they believe electric currents exist in space?

No, it does not. The key is the phrase "solar wind." One of the many [url2=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism]euphemisms[/url2] used by modern astronomers when confronted with the unpleasant evidence of electricity in space.

Nick C

[redeye]

How can a satellite function at 800 degrees? Isn't space 800 degrees over Mercury, if it's surface is that hot? Isn't 800 degrees enough to melt many of a satellite's components?

I don't think the probe is spending enough time in the full glare of the sun to accumulate too much heat.

meesenger mission

thermal design

MESSENGER will only spend about 25 minutes of each 12-hour orbit crossing Mercury’s broiling surface at low altitude

Cheers!