Spacecraft 200km of mercury?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MINDFREAK
  • Start date Start date
I understand that the probe Messenger will commence a year-long study of Mercury in 2011. Tat being so, I doubt it is already close to the planet.

The previous probe to Mercury was Mariner-10 that did 3 flybys in 1973-74. It also visited Venus en route.
 
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) probe, a NASA spacecraft, launched August 3, 2004, did a flyby on October 6. The closest approach was indeed about 200 km, but it's current orbit will bring it about halfway out to the Venus orbit again. Today, October 9, it's already a million km away again

Fotos can be seen here: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/
 
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