Messenger Space Probe Prepares to Orbit Mercury -- first image release


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NASA's Messenger spacecraft will make history tomorrow (March 17) when it becomes the first probe to orbit the planet Mercury. But it also promises to help solve a host of mysteries about the solar system's innermost planet.

The seven instruments aboard Messenger, fortified to withstand the blistering environs near the sun, will help researchers investigate the many enigmas of Mercury ? such as its its unexpected magnetic field, and whether the planet has water ice at its poles.

As the solar system's innermost planet, Mercury is relatively unexplored considering its proximity to Earth. Discovering more about this searing hot, rocky sibling of Earth could shed light on how our solar system formed, and how alien planets coalesced around faraway stars, researchers said.

"Many exoplanets discovered to date are as close or closer than Mercury is to our host star," said Messenger principal investigator Sean Solomon, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. He and his colleagues discussed Messenger at a press conference yesterday (March 15).

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awesome, will be keeping an eye on this over the next few days. thanks for the reminder. it's about time we had an orbiter around Mercury consider how long we've been flying by it.

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yes, waiting for the pics as well. even though to be honest this isn't huge news, i mean Messenger has been flying by Mercury for years now. i don't know why it's taken so long to insert into orbit.

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It's been using gravitational slingshots around the inner planets to hit the right trajectory for orbital insertion. The direct route would have required a much more expensive & heavier spacecraft (engines, fuel etc) and a larger and $$$$ launcher. Not in the cards.

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  • 2 weeks later...

First image of Mercury from orbit released

NASA released an image of the planet Mercury on Tuesday, the first obtained from a spacecraft orbiting the solar system's innermost planet.

The image is the first of many expected to come from the Messenger probe, the first space mission to orbit the planet closest to the sun. The Messenger spacecraft launched on August 3, 2004, and after flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury, started its historic orbit around Mercury on March 17.

The dominant rayed crater in the upper portion of the image is Debussy, according to NASA. The smaller crater, Matabei, with its dark rays, is visible to the west of Debussy.

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nice images from old Merc, it's about time we've had a ship in orbit. yeah i understand why it's taken so long, but none of those money reasons will ever convince me.

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just remember this time next year we'll have live HD video from Mars on YouTube...it'll be more exciting than Merc pics. no offense to Mercury, of course!

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