"Welcome to Kandinsky Station! The hour is 06:00 AM Mercury Standard Time (MST), and the local temperature is a balmy 180 K! We hope you had a pleasant journey to the surface via the Spindle, Mercury's shining tether to space!
"We also hope that you have acclimated to the local gravity. If you are traveling from a low-g point of origin, we recommend you consult the data provided in your virtual pamphlet. If you feel any symptoms of 'gravity sickness' please seek immediate medical help.
"Our final destination is Terminator City, where you will be transported in extreme comfort to Mercury's equator and treated to scenic landscape views amid perpetual twilight!
Someday, announcements like this could be a real thing. While the thought of living, working, or visiting a planet like Mercury might sound like something out of science fiction (or completely insane), the idea is grounded in science fact. And with the right strategies and technologies for living in a hostile environment, humans could make a life for themselves on Mercury.
And there would be tangible benefits to having an enduring human presence there. For starters, a local economy could be built around "adventure tourism," mining, and energy. Mercury is an extreme environment, being the closest planet to our Sun. But it is also rich in ore and precious metals and a tremendous amount of solar power.
But first, the little matter of that "hostile environment" needs to be addressed.
To read more, click here.