MESSENGER

MErcury Surface Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging

Artists impression of MESSENGER in orbit around Mercury - Courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins
Nationality: USA (NASA)
Type: Planetary Probe (Mercury Orbiter)
Orbit: Heliocentric then hermocentric (Mercury)
Launch (scheduled): 2004 July 30
Launch window: 2004 July 30 to Aug 13
Designation: to be advised
Earth Flyby: 2005 July
Venus Flyby 1: 2006 October
Venus Flyby 2: 2007 June
Mercury Flyby 1: 2008 January
Mercury Flyby 2: 2008 October
Mercury Flyby 3: 2009 September
Mercury Orbit insertion: 2011 March 11
Orbital Period: 12 Earth-months or 2 hermian-days
Website: Johns Hopkins University
The artists impression of MESSENGER in orbit around Mercury - Courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins

Status


UPDATED: May 7, 2004
Courtesy of NASA

MESSENGER is at the Astrotech Space Operations facilities near Kennedy Space Center, where it is undergoing pre-launch testing.

Testing of the spacecraft’s radio system uplink and downlinks through the KSC/JPL interface with the Deep Space Network (MIL-71) has been successfully completed. Autonomy testing continues. This verifies MESSENGER’s ability to operate on its own when not in direct contact with Earth. Installation of thermal blankets has been completed as required on the schedule up to this time.

The assembly of the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle on Pad 17-B is currently scheduled to begin on June 18 with the stacking of the first stage.

MESSENGER was built for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

 

 

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