MDIS Observations from the Second MESSENGER Venus Flyby

The MESSENGER spacecraft successfully executed a close-approach (338 km) flyby of Venus on 5 June 2007 with the goal of optimizing the spacecraft's trajectory for its first Mercury encounter on 14 January 2008. During the flyby, key Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) sequences required for the upcoming Mercury flyby were exercised with the accompanying spacecraft slews. MDIS observations included scattered light tests, high- resolution mosaics, point-and-stare multispectral images, flat-field calibrations, optical navigation tests, nightside imaging of thermal emission from the Venus surface, and a departure sequence. A total of 638 images were acquired and successfully received on the ground. These data are being analyzed and mosaicked to support instrument characterization and science comparisons with data obtained by the Venus Express mission. We will present reduced data with implications for the upcoming Mercury flyby.