Messenger photo

Mercury (Messenger mission)

By dlind57

  • NASA selected the MESSENGER mission

    NASA selects the MESSENGER as the seventh Discovery Program mission

  • Final design

    The final design and constuction of the MESSENGER begins

  • MESSENGER moves

    The MESSENGER moves to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for final space-environment testing

  • MESSENGER launch

    NASA launch the MESSENGER mission

  • Earth flyby

    The MESSENGER went past the Earth. Flybys enable spacecrafts to use the gravity from the planet to accelerate/decelerate or assist in changing path and also reduce fuel usage.
  • Period: to

    Venus flyby

    The MESSENGER flew past Venus twice. Flybys enable spacecrafts to use the gravity from the planet to accelerate/decelerate or assist in changing path and also reduce fuel usage.
  • Period: to

    Mercury flyby

    NASA went past Mercury three times. Flybys enable spacecrafts to use the gravity from the planet to accelerate/decelerate or assist in changing path and also reduce fuel usage.

  • Orbit of Mercury

    Yearlong science orbit of Mercury begins

  • Completed orbit

    The MESSENGER successfully completed its year-long first extended mission in orbit about Mercury. NASA finally imaged 100% of the planet Mercury. Done 2000 orbits of Mercury