Messenger
Liftoff
August 3, 2004
Mission Ended
April 30, 2015
Mission Info
The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) was NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury studying the characteristics and environment of Mercury from orbit. On it’s voyage to Mercury Messenger performed a flyby of Earth and Venus.
MESSENGER journeyed through the inner solar system and became the first spacecraft ever to orbit Mercury. It achieved 100% mapping of Mercury on March 6, 2013. MESSENGER impacted the surface of Mercury on April 30, 2015, ending it’s successful operations.
Key Facts
Delta II
Cape Canaveral, Fl
Globally mapped both in high-resolution monochrome and in color, the entire surface of Mercury
Found evidence of water ice at Mercury’s poles, frozen at locations that never see the sunlight
Mission Images
