Few missions have targeted Mercury because it is very difficult to obtain a satellite orbit around the planet. Mercury orbits the Sun very quickly (between 24.25 miles per second (39.03 km/s) …

Mercury is the fastest-orbiting planet in our solar system — it blazes around the Sun at 48 kilometers per second (30 miles per second). Missions trying to enter orbit there typically fly …

Jan 17, 2025 · The first spacecraft to visit Mercury was NASA’s Mariner 10, which launched in 1973. NASA’s MESSENGER launched in 2004. The European Space Agency and JAXA …

Aug 2, 2019 · In 1999, NASA selected for flight the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission under the leadership of Principal …

Nov 3, 2024 · BepiColombo is an international mission comprised of two spacecraft riding together to Mercury to orbit and to study the planet from unique vantage points. The European …

Nov 2, 2024 · MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) was the seventh Discovery-class mission, and the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. Its primary …

Jan 14, 2025 · Bepi-Colombo aims to address these questions with thorough observations of the planet’s surface over two years once it enters orbit in November 2026. “This will allow for in …

May 1, 2008 · Here’s a listing of the missions that have gone to Mercury, and a few that will be going shortly. Mariner 10 was launched on November 3, 1973 to fly past Mercury and Venus. …

Dec 9, 2024 · Space exploration - Mercury Missions, Astronauts, Technology: The initial U.S. effort to launch a human into space was known as Project Mercury. It was carried out by …

The Mission to Mercury. To address key science questions about Mercury's formation and evolution, MESSENGER journeyed through the inner solar system and became the first …