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MESSENGER is the first mission sent to orbit the planet closest to the Sun. On October 6, 2008, MESSENGER will fly by Mercury for the second time this year. During the encounter, the probe will swing just 125 miles (200 kilometers) above the cratered surface of Mercury, snapping 1,278 pictures and collecting a variety of other data from the planet as it gains a critical gravity assist that keeps the probe on track to become the first spacecraft ever to orbit the innermost planet beginning in March 2011.
On October 01, 2008, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab will conduct a media telecon to talk about the upcoming flyby on October 6 and what is expected to occur during that flyby. If you would like more information about the telecon at 1 pm EDT, please click this link: > Mercury Flyby Telecon
To get directly to the JHU APL telecon site, please click this link: JHU APL Mercury Flyby telecon site
MESSENGER Features
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MESSENGER Bids Farewell to Venus
ESA’s Venus Express and NASA’s MESSENGER studied the oddities of the mysterious planet, Venus, in tandem in early June.
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MESSENGER's Venus Flyby
Messenger was able to take some sensational images of Venus as it made its flyby on June 6 and 7, 2007.
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The Long and Winding Road
Getting MESSENGER from Earth to Mercury isn't as easy as you think.
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Mercury, Get Ready for a Close-Up
MESSENGER plans to get personal with our mysterious terrestrial neighbor.
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MESSENGER: The Extreme Machine
We know why we're going to Mercury. But many people may not know how the spacecraft is designed in order to get there safely.
MESSENGER News
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NASA Teleconference to Preview MESSENGER's Flyby of Mercury
01.07.08 - NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 10, to preview the historic Jan. 14 spacecraft flight past Mercury that will explore some of the last major never-seen-before terrain in the inner solar system.
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Mercury-Bound NASA Probe Snaps First Approach Shots Before August Flyby →
05.31.05 - NASA’s Mercury-bound MESSENGER spacecraft – less than three months from an Earth flyby that will slingshot it toward the inner solar system – successfully tested its main camera by snapping distant approach shots of Earth and the Moon.
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Mercury-Bound MESSENGER Launches From Cape Canaveral →
08.03.04 - NASA's MESSENGER -- set to become the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Mercury -- launched today at 2:15:56 a.m. EDT aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Clocks
Mission Elapsed Time:
Orbit Insertion, March 18, 2011:
Related Multimedia
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Launch is Flawless!
MESSENGER is successfully launched on its journey to Mercury.
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MESSENGER Revealed
Join James Leary and other Mission specialists for this exciting webcast.
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MESSENGER's Science
Dr. Ralph McNutt answers your questions about the MESSENGER Mission.
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A Scientific MESSENGER
This probe's science payload will get personal with Mercury.
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In Demand
Planet Mercury's curious features leave scientists wanting more.
› View This Video
 "MESSENGER launches successfully")
 "Tiffany Nail hosts Mission Overview webcast with James Leary Mission System Engineer")
 "Cheryle Mako Mission Integration Manager and Project Scientist Dr. Ralph McNutt")
 "MESSENGER spacecraft")
 "An artist's conception of MESSENGER orbiting Mercury.")