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NASA’s Spacecraft ‘Messenger’ Fated To Become Crater On Planets Surface

Messenger Spacecraft

After launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in 2004, Messenger became the first spacecraft to orbit the planet Mercury and has not only mapped the surface of the planet closest to the sun, but also reshaped our understanding of how the early solar system acquired the key essentials for life such as water and chemicals. The spacecraft will make its final decent and make impact with the planets surface at 8,750 miles per hour.

Since Mesenger first orbit around Mercury in 2011, we have accumulated a multitude of data on the planet. For instance, Messenger confirmed the existence of ice deposits at both poles on the planets surface, as well as indications that those ice deposits are covered by a mysterious dark layer of what could be organic material thought to be delivered by the same objects that delivered the Ice. Sean Solomon, the mission’s principal investigator from Columbia University said that Mercury “preserves a record of some very interesting processes in solar system history.”

The material offers a record in these poles of the delivery, probably from the outer solar system, not only of water ice but of what on our planet were once some of the building blocks of organic chemistry and life, here on the planet closest to the sun,(…)So Mercury therefore preserves a record of some very interesting processes in solar system history.

The probe is set to carry out its final orbit maneuver on April 24. Data collection will continue until 10 or 15 minutes before impact and then continued to be studied for years to come. In a recent comment to USA Today John Grunsfeld, head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said  “Rather than be sad about that, we really are celebrating just a fantastic mission.”

Messenger is going to create a new crater on Mercury at some point in the very near future, (…)Rather than be sad about that, we really are celebrating just a fantastic mission.

In other space related news, SpaceX’s CR-6 rocket exploded while attempting to land.

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