MESSENGER:
MESSENGER will map the surface composition, study the magnetic field and interior structure of our solar system's smallest and innermost planet -- Mercury. The spacecraft is designed to fly past Mercury three times before settling into orbit. It carries eight instruments to study Mercury's polar deposits, core and magnetic dynamo, crust and mantle, magnetosphere, crustal composition, geologic evolution and exosphere.

The spacecraft already has revealed more of Mercury than has ever been seen before. Images and data reveal Mercury as a unique, geologically diverse world with a magnetosphere far different than the one first discovered by Mariner 10 in 1975.

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08.02.04:  Launch (6:15:56 UT) 10.06.08:  Second Mercury Flyby 09.29.09:  Final Mercury Flyby 03.17.11 - 03.18.11:  Mercury Orbit Insertion Status:  In Flight Show All Dates for MESSENGER		09.12.08:  MESSENGER Finalizes Plans for Its Second Look at Mercury 09.05.08:  MESSENGER Sails on Sun's Fire for Second Flyby of Mercury 08.04.08:  Sharing the Wealth: MESSENGER Team Delivers Mercury Flyby 1 Data to Planetary Data System More Headlines
MESSENGER stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging. MESSENGER is only the second spacecraft sent to Mercury (right) . The last one - Mariner 10 - completed its mission in 1975. Mercury is the least explored of our solar system's inner planets.		Solar System Bodies: Mercury MESSENGER Multimedia Gallery MESSENGER Homepage National Space Science Data Center: MESSENGER MESSENGER Spacecraft Images More Links