The Messenger probe, which has been mapping Mercury since 2011, is due to crash land today after running out of fuel.
This is only the second Mercury mission which has ever been conducted. The first, Mariner 10, only flew past the planet three times in the 1970s. Messenger has been in orbit for four years.
The mission launched on August 3, 2004, and the probe traveled 4.9 billion miles, circling the Sun 15 times, before settling into orbit around Mercury. NASA expects the probe to crash into the far side of the planet today.
NASA has been ramping up its efforts to find extraterrestrial life recently. Keep it right here on IGN for more space-related news.
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This is only the second Mercury mission which has ever been conducted. The first, Mariner 10, only flew past the planet three times in the 1970s. Messenger has been in orbit for four years.
The mission launched on August 3, 2004, and the probe traveled 4.9 billion miles, circling the Sun 15 times, before settling into orbit around Mercury. NASA expects the probe to crash into the far side of the planet today.
NASA has been ramping up its efforts to find extraterrestrial life recently. Keep it right here on IGN for more space-related news.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...