MESSENGER orbital elements (epoch is at each segment's midpoint) as of 24 February 2010

 

 

 

Initial Event

Final Event

  Keplerian Elements (defined below the table) in Sun-Centered Mean-of-J2000 Ecliptic Coordinates

Date and Time (UTC)

Date and Time (UTC)

a (AU)

e

i (deg)

Ω (deg)

ω (deg)

MA i (deg)

MA f (deg)

Detumble

TCM-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

03-Aug-2004 07:27:47

24-Aug-2004 21:00:07

1.00124769

0.076000037

6.37291

310.96299

255.64018

96.08626

117.30010

TCM-1

TCM-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24-Aug-2004 21:00:07

24-Sep-2004 18:00:00

1.00025305

0.076271987

6.35108

310.90212

254.94757

118.09021

148.50922

TCM-2

TCM-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24-Sep-2004 18:00:00

18-Nov-2004 19:30:00

1.00006905

0.076413550

6.34760

310.86782

254.87180

148.62634

202.89074

TCM-3

TCM-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18-Nov-2004 19:30:00

23-Jun-2005 14:30:00

0.99999686

0.076563122

6.34757

310.85410

254.86427

202.92146

56.59400

TCM-5

TCM-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23-Jun-2005 14:30:00

21-Jul-2005 18:00:01

1.00307411

0.076879002

6.35447

310.78090

254.93545

56.13919

84.70919

TCM-6

Earth Flyby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21-Jul-2005 18:00:01

02-Aug-2005 19:13:08

1.00073173

0.077559813

6.40539

310.68859

255.29239

83.94500

95.80931

Earth Flyby

TCM-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

02-Aug-2005 19:13:08

12-Dec-2005 11:30:00

0.80890445

0.254969749

2.53035

130.30660

2.08998

176.83906

355.22996

TCM-9

TCM-10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12-Dec-2005 11:30:00

22-Feb-2006 16:00:00

0.82928590

0.273176968

2.57946

130.17493

1.80424

355.66238

89.87513

TCM-10

TCM-11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22-Feb-2006 16:00:00

12-Sep-2006 23:00:00

0.82923356

0.273232696

2.57947

130.17586

1.78689

89.88928

353.92748

TCM-11

TCM-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12-Sep-2006 23:00:00

05-Oct-2006 22:30:00

0.82933581

0.273279781

2.57972

130.17548

1.78288

353.92937

23.91704

TCM-12

Venus Flyby 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

05-Oct-2006 22:30:00

24-Oct-2006 08:34:00

0.82948991

0.273427405

2.57977

130.17936

1.78382

23.90568

47.93624

Venus Flyby 1

TCM-13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24-Oct-2006 08:34:00

02-Dec-2006 21:00:00

0.72262040

0.244658760

8.17246

46.54461

57.84991

75.91206

139.31863

TCM-13

TCM-15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

02-Dec-2006 21:00:00

25-Apr-2007 17:30:00

0.72325726

0.244070953

8.16135

46.49669

58.11426

137.43379

9.54656

TCM-15

TCM-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25-Apr-2007 17:30:00

25-May-2007 16:00:00

0.72329967

0.244102341

8.16127

46.49223

58.11411

9.54515

57.50030

TCM-16

Venus Flyby 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25-May-2007 16:00:00

05-Jun-2007 23:08:19

0.72340047

0.244271182

8.16396

46.47852

58.13654

57.50278

103.50982

Venus Flyby 2

TCM-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

05-Jun-2007 23:08:19

17-Oct-2007 22:00:00

0.53857757

0.383581489

6.77134

50.30790

356.38575

142.77792

116.80578

TCM-18

TCM-19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17-Oct-2007 22:00:00

19-Dec-2007 22:00:00

0.53442413

0.391740388

6.79887

50.13707

355.64116

117.54538

276.47891

TCM-19

Mercury Flyby 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19-Dec-2007 22:00:00

14-Jan-2008 23:08:19

0.53442413

0.391714040

6.79802

50.12882

356.64574

276.47996

341.76142

Mercury Flyby 1

TCM-23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14-Jan-2008 19:04:39

19-Mar-2008 19:30:00

0.50663630

0.381599938

6.92133

49.03305

6.49836

336.76142

154.06861

TCM-23

Mercury Flyby 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19-Mar-2008 19:30:00

06-Oct-2008 08:40:22

0.50775313

0.378597781

6.88791

49.06469

6.56324

152.64966

340.71475

Mercury Flyby 2

TCM-29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06-Oct-2008 08:40:22

06-Dec-2008 20:30:00

0.46626923

0.351628516

7.00307

48.33058

19.44225

332.21817

162.57708

TCM-29

Mercury Flyby 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06-Dec-2008 20:30:00

29-Sep-2009 21:54:56

0.46998082

0.341312317

6.99426

48.31832

19.86922

162.15044

350.86306

Mercury Flyby 3

TCM-35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29-Sep-2009 21:54:56

24-Nov-2009 21:45:00

0.43502378

0.303835103

7.00838

48.31787

32.48547

343.20559

175.55010

TCM-35

Mercury Orbit Insertion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24-Nov-2009 21:45:00

18-Mar-2011 00:45:00

0.43753386

0.296341326

7.02855

48.41164

32.44229

175.50722

3.78324

 

 

 

a (AU) = semi-major axis in Astronomical Units … 1 AU is the average Earth-Sun distance

 

e = eccentricity (0.0 for a circle, increases toward 1.0 as orbit becomes more oval or ellipse shaped)

 

i = inclination (measure of spacecraft orbit tilt relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun)

 

Ω = longitude of ascending node (counterclockwise measure in Earth's orbit plane from vernal equinox direction to spacecraft "ascending" orbit crossingg)

ω = argument of perihelion (counterclockwise measure along orbit from ascending node to the closest point to the Sun)

 

MA = mean anomaly (measure of orbital position, counterclockwise positive with 0 degrees at perihelion, 180 degrees at aphelion - farthest point from Sun)

MA subscripts = i for initial event, f for final event

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCM

Trajectory Correction Maneuver