About / The Mission to Mercury
Mission Timeline

  • earth icon

    August 3, 2004

    MESSENGER Launch

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    above Northern Asia

    from above Northern Asia Click to Enlarge

    the direction of the Sun from the direction of the Sun Click to Enlarge

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  • earth icon

    August 2, 2005

    Earth Flyby

    2,348 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun from the direction of the Sun Click to Enlarge

    above Earth's North Pole from above Earth's North Pole Click to Enlarge

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Earth:
      2347.5 kilometers (1458.7 miles) on August 2, 2005 7:13 pm UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Earth:
      10.389 kilometers per second (6.455 miles per second or 23,239 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 0.000058 AU (8715 kilometers, 5415 miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 1.0148 AU (151.81 million kilometers, 94.33 million miles)
  • October 24, 2006

    First Venus Flyby

    2987 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun from the direction of the Sun Click to Enlarge

    above Venus' North pole from the direction of the Sun Click to Enlarge

    the direction of the Earth

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude (approximate since the surface is not perfectly round) above Venus:
      2,987.3 kilometers (1,856.2 miles) on October 24, 2006 8:34 am UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Venus:
      12.395 kilometers per second (7.702 miles per second or 27,726 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 1.7163 AU (256.75 million kilometers, 159.54 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.7222 AU (108.05 million kilometers, 67.136 million miles)
  • June 5, 2007

    Second Venus Flyby

    338 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun

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    above Venus' North pole

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    the direction of the Earth

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Venus:
      338.2 kilometers (210.1 miles) on June 5, 2007 11:08 pm UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Venus:
      13.531 kilometers per second (8.408 miles per second or 30,268 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 0.7345 AU (109.87 million kilometers, 68.27 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.7222 AU (108.04 million kilometers, 67.14 million miles)
  • January 14, 2008

    First Mercury Flyby

    200 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun

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    above Mercury's North pole

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    the direction of the Earth

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Mercury:
      200.6 kilometers (124.6 miles) on January 14, 2008 7:05 pm UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Mercury:
      7.098 kilometers per second (4.410 miles per second or 15,877 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 1.156 AU (172.96 million kilometers, 107.47 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.3516 AU (52.61 million kilometers, 32.69 million miles)
  • October 6, 2008

    Second Mercury Flyby

    200 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun

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    above Mercury's North pole

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    the direction of the Earth

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    above Mercury's north pole
    the direction of the spacecraft

    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Mercury:
      200.0 kilometers (124.3 miles) on October 6, 2008 11:39 am UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Mercury:
      6.595 kilometers per second (4.098 miles per second or 14,752 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 0.6593 AU (98.62 million kilometers, 61.28 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.3419 AU (51.15 million kilometers, 31.78 million miles)
  • September 29, 2009

    Third Mercury Flyby

    228 km altitude

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    the direction of the Sun

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    above Mercury's North pole

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    the direction of the Earth

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Mercury:
      200.0 kilometers (124.3 miles) on September 29, 2009 11:59 pm UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Mercury:
      5.303 kilometers per second (3.295 miles per second or 11,862 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 0.7977 AU (119.33 million kilometers, 74.15 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.3139 AU (46.96 million kilometers, 29.18 million miles)

  • March 18, 2011

    Mercury Orbit Insertion (Mercury Arrival)

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    the direction of the Sun

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    above Mercury's North pole

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    the direction of the Earth

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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Mercury one orbit after orbit insertion:
      197.2 kilometers (122.5 miles) on March 18, 2011 11:31 pm UTC
    • Maximum spacecraft speed relative to center of Mercury:
      3.862 kilometers per second (2.400 miles per second or 8640 miles per hour)
    • Distance from Earth and Sun (1 AU = average Earth-Sun distance):
      Earth-spacecraft: 1.0110 AU (151.24 million kilometers, 93.98 million miles)
      Sun-spacecraft: 0.3097 AU (46.333 million kilometers, 28.790 million miles)
  • April 2012

    Transition to 8-Hour Orbit

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    the direction of the Sun


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    Highlights

    • Minimum altitude above Mercury before OCM-7:
      277.7 kilometers (172.6 miles)
    • Spacecraft Orbit Period before OCM-7:
      11 hours 36 minutes
    • Minimum altitude above Mercury before OCM-8:
      277.7 kilometers (172.5 miles)
    • Spacecraft Orbit Period before OCM-8:
      9 hours 5 minutes
    • Minimum altitude above Mercury after OCM-8:
      277.6 kilometers (172.5 miles)
    • Spacecraft Orbit Period after OCM-8:
      8 hours 0 minutes