HOME | DATA VOLUMES INDEX | ALL DATA HOLDINGS | DATA PORTAL | DATA RELEASES | TOOLS & TUTORIALS | HELP |
Data Release Calendar MDIS Atlas III Product Search Select from MESSENGER Atlas III Tutorial Online Data Volumes MDIS Global Mosaics Mercury MESSENGER MDIS Global Basemap BDR 166m (256ppd) May 2016 ![]() May 2013 ![]() 665m v3 ![]() Observation Guide Documentation MESSENGER Documents Tutorials ISIS Guide to Working with MESSENGER MDIS Data ![]() Mission, MDIS Instrument, and Imaging Campaigns ![]() ![]() Overview ![]() Data in the PDS, March 15, 2015 Photojournal Images from MESSENGER Subscribe to the Data PDS Subscription Service About the Mission Mission Overview About the Science Science Summary About the Spacecraft and Instruments Payload Mission Gallery MESSENGER Gallery Mission Teams Who We Are |
MESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on August 3, 2004. It returned to Earth for a gravity boost on August 2, 2005, then it flew past Venus twice, in October 2006 and June 2007. The spacecraft uses the tug of Venus' gravity to resize and rotate its trajectory closer to Mercury's orbit.
Mission goals included:
On September 29, 2009, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed by Mercury for the third time for a final gravity assist that enabled it to enter orbit about Mercury in March, 2011. The spacecraft passed by Mercury at an altitude of 142 miles and at a relative velocity of more than 12,000 miles per hour. As the spacecraft approached the planet, MESSENGER's MDIS Wide Angle and Narrow Angle Cameras captured striking views, which show portions of Mercury's surface that had remained unseen by spacecraft even after the three flybys by Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975 and MESSENGER's two earlier flybys in 2008. During this third and final flyby, the spacecraft captured images of five percent of the planet never before seen, and scientists continue to be surprised by new findings from the planet.
The PDS Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node maintains the archives for MESSENGER MDIS science data. The PDS Geosciences Node has information about archive responsibilities for other instruments.
Instrument and Data Archive Information
|
PDS | ATMOSPHERES | ENGINEERING | GEOSCIENCES | CARTOGRAPHY-IMAGING NAIF | PPI | RINGS | SMALL BODIES | MANAGEMENT |