[X] My Assistant

[Seryddwr]

I know nothing about either the technological constraints or the funding possibilities, but I was wondering if anyone knew what might happen to the probe once the extended mission at Mercury comes to an end. Is it definitely going to be decommissioned? Or is there a chance of sending it somewhere else? Is there sufficient propellant to allow it to break orbit using the LVA, and (say) conduct a flyby of an Aten or Apollo asteroid? I do not know how much delta-v would be required to do this, or even if there are any targets in favourable positions, but it would (to my untrained eye) be an excellent reuse of what has proven itself to be a very capable spacecraft.

[Explorer1]

I doubt the camera is even designed to image the sun without being wrecked.
Though sunrise from Mercury orbit would be quite a sight (and without protection, one's last).

[djellison]

I doubt the camera is even designed to image the sun without being wrecked.

The whole spacecraft isn't designed to point that way - it would cook. The thermal blanket covering one side of the spacecraft is sun pointed at all times to avoid damage to the spacecraft.