MESSENGER spacecraft sees more of Mercury

William Atkins
Friday, 01 May 2009 20:10

Science - Space

William McClintock (University of Colorado, Boulder), another MESSENGER investigator, stated, “This is an example of the kind of individual discoveries that the science team will piece together to give us a new picture of how the planet formed and evolved."

So far, the team has concluded that the interaction of the magnetosphere of Mercury, along with its magnetic field, with the solar wind produces a very dynamic, quickly changing atmosphere for the planet.

James Slavin (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), another investigator with the mission, states, "The spacecraft observed a radically different magnetosphere at Mercury during its second flyby compared with its earlier Jan. 14 encounter. During the first flyby, important discoveries were made, but scientists didn't detect any dynamic features. The second flyby witnessed a totally different situation."

The third flyby of Mercury occurs on September 29, 2009. Then, in March 2011, MESSENGER will be inserted into orbit about the planet.

Dr. Solomon states, “The orbital phase will be like staging two flybys per day and will provide the continuous collection of information about the planet and its environment for one year. Mercury has been coy in revealing its secrets slowly so far, but in less than two years the innermost planet will become a close friend."

For additional information on the mission of MESSENGER, please go to the Johns Hopkins/Applied Physics Lab website: “MESSENGER”

The only other probe to make a flyby of Mercury was Mariner 10, twice in 1974 and once in 1975. Look at its mission at the website of NASA: “The Voyage of Mariner 10: Mission to Venus and Mercury.”