NASA's MESSENGER probe to launch to Mercury Aug. 2

Published: Jul 19, 2004
Source: www.aviationnow.com



Set for launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., Aug. 2, NASA's MESSENGER probe is poised to become the first spacecraft to travel to the planet Mercury in more than 30 years.

The first and last spacecraft to visit the solar system's innermost planet was Mariner 10, launched 31 years ago. Mariner 10 conducted three flybys and imaged roughly 45 percent of the planet's surface. "Now, 30 years later, advances in technology ... have allowed us to go back with a much more capable mission," said Orlando Figueroa, director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Division, during a press conference July 15.continue..