A NASA Discovery mission to conduct the first orbital study of the innermost planet
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MESSENGER

Mission News

March 26, 2013
Newly Named Mercury Craters Honor Hawaiian Guitarist, Beloved Young Adult Author
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) — the arbiter of planetary and satellite nomenclature since its inception in 1919 — recently approved a proposal from the MESSENGER Science Team to assign names to nine impact craters on Mercury. In keeping with the established naming theme for craters on Mercury, all of the newly designated features are named after famous deceased artists, musicians, or authors or other contributors to the humanities. [more]

Mission Elapsed Time
August 3, 2004
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Mercury Orbit Insertion
March 18, 2011
00:45 UTC
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Countdown to Insertion Burn
Orbits Around Mercury
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Featured Images

May 20, 2013
Lermontov's Legacy
May 17, 2013
Balanchine's Blues
May 16, 2013
A Volcanic Crater in an Impact Crater
May 15, 2013
Kuiper³
May 14, 2013
You Can Bartok the Talk, But Can You Barwok the Walk?