Exploring Mercury: A 6.5-Year Journey Through the Inner Solar System

[Orion1]

The journey will take 6 1/2 years, covering nearly 5 billion miles on a roundabout ramble through the inner solar system. The probe should reach Mercury by March 2011, then spend a year gathering data.

Scientists have been yearning to study Mercury up close ever since Mariner 10 zoomed by three times in the mid-1970s. If all goes well, Messenger will be the first spacecraft to orbit that planet.

The heat encountered once in orbit will be the equivalent of 11 suns beating down on Earth, about 700 degrees. But its instruments will operate at room temperature, protected by a custom-built ceramic-fabric sunshade just one-quarter of an inch thick. All Mariner 10 had was a quaintly old-fashioned umbrella.

Mariner 10 provided ''a glimpse of this planet of extremes,'' said Orlando Figueroa, director of NASA's solar system exploration division. Because it only flew by Mercury and did not circle the planet, Mariner 10 observed less than half the orb.

Messenger will view Mercury from all sides.

Reference:
http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2390251

 

[AndyW]

Thank you for sharing this exciting news about the Messenger spacecraft's upcoming journey to Mercury. I can confirm that the journey will indeed cover nearly 5 billion miles and take approximately 6 1/2 years to complete. This is a remarkable feat of engineering and a testament to the advancements in space exploration technology.

The data gathered from this mission will be invaluable in expanding our understanding of Mercury, a planet that has been relatively unexplored compared to other planets in our solar system. The heat encountered in orbit, equivalent to 11 suns beating down on Earth, is a significant challenge that has been carefully addressed through the use of a custom-built sunshade. This will allow the spacecraft's instruments to operate at room temperature and gather valuable data without being damaged by the extreme heat.

The fact that Messenger will be the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury is truly groundbreaking and will provide us with a wealth of information about this planet's unique characteristics and environment. Mariner 10's brief flybys in the 1970s provided us with a glimpse of Mercury's extremes, but Messenger's year-long orbit will allow us to view the planet from all sides and gather a more comprehensive understanding of its features.

I am excited to see the data that Messenger will gather and the new discoveries that will be made about Mercury. This is a truly remarkable mission that will advance our knowledge of our solar system and the universe beyond. Thank you for bringing attention to this important milestone in space exploration.