so what is that BepiColombo mission all about then?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26736-nasas-messenger-probe-ready-for-final-tour-of-mercury.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Conline-news#.VKsjGMLyHIU

"The planet's uneven gravity makes the site of Messenger's eventual crash-landing uncertain. But it will probably land on the far side, where it will be out of view until 2024, when the European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission arrives. O'Shaughnessy says the team has considered enlisting the help of a sun-gazing spacecraft, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory or Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, to listen for the radio signature of the moment Messenger goes down."


yes I can see what this is all about now...