NASA Spacecraft Pays First Visit Since '70s to Mercury
posted 7:49 am Tue January 15, 2008 - Baltimore
The Maryland-built space probe Messenger skimed about 124 miles above the planet's surface and and took hundreds of photos of a section of the planet not photographed when a probe last flew by 33 years ago. It was the first of three passes before it settles into orbit.
Scientists are hoping that what they learn in the coming weeks and months will help them begin to answer lingering questions about the planet's origin, magnetic field, atmosphere and what that means about our own planet.
The planet is so close to the sun that temperatures vary at the equator between day and night by 1,100 degrees. At the same time, there is also evidence of ice at the poles.
Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, which built and operates the probe, manages the mission for NASA. They expect to receive the first closeup photographs Tuesday.
Messenger is scheduled to swing past Mercury again in October and will take even more pictures.
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Information from: The (Baltimore) Sun
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On the Net:
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Messenger News Center:
Latest Comment on NASA Spacecraft Pays First Visit Since '70s to Mercury
Xman
8:46 pm on 01/16/08
Well said Duggo; although Tuckmeister makes a good point. If the US spent more money on NASA research and development, rather than making war (starting with Vietnam) we would have a base on the Moon and be on Mars by now. Also the issues Tuckmeister may be referring to would be resolved also! Humanity would be much better off.
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