What’s the News: After firing its thrusters for about 15 minutes on Thursday, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft lost enough speed to be pulled in by Mercury’s gravitational field, making it the first probe to orbit the Swift Planet. “Mercury’s secrets, and the implications they hold for the formation and evolution of Earth-like planets, are about to be revealed,” MESSENGER principal investigator Sean Solomon told Slate.
What’s the Olds: Launched on 3 August 2004, MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging spacecraft) has clocked 4.9 billion miles since day one—a trek that includes three Mercury fly-bys as it eased its way into orbit.
80beats published an image gallery of the stunning photos already sent back during the fly-bys and has covered such findings as ancient magma oceans and magnetic volcanoes.
In 2008, MESSENGER imaged most of the never-before-seen swaths of Mercury’s surface.
As Phil Plait points out, it’s not just Mercury that MESSENGER has photographed: It’s also sent long shots of Earth. Not So Fast: Don’t expect any stunning images by this weekend: MESSENGER’s first pictures in orbit are slated to arrive toward the end of the month.
The Future ...