To become the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, MESSENGER must follow a path through the inner solar system, including one flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and three flybys of Mercury. This impressive journey will return the first new spacecraft data from Mercury since the Mariner 10 mission over 30 years ago. Here you can find details about that journey, the MESSENGER spacecraft, and the instrument payload.

Most Recent Flight Path Adjustment



See the details of the latest completed propulsive event, which put MESSENGER one step closer to orbiting Mercury. Trajectory correction maneuver 23 (TCM-23) was executed on March 19, 2008. Click here for more details. More detailed information regarding the final results of completed propulsive events appears in the Mission Design segment.

View an interactive timeline of the MESSENGER mission. The timeline features graphics, animations, and closest approach facts for launch, all six planetary flybys, and Mercury orbit insertion.

Learn about how MESSENGER utilizes events such as planetary flybys and trajectory correction maneuvers to enter an orbit around Mercury, the fastest planet in our solar system.

Learn about the details of the spacecraft and how the spacecraft systems are designed to address the challenges of becoming the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury.

Find details about MESSENGER's science payload, which includes seven scientific instruments and a radio science experiment, all designed to operate in the extreme environment near the Sun.

View a list of professional publications, which contain details about the technical aspects of the spacecraft, the instruments, and designing and operating the MESSENGER mission.