12 days to go for Messenger!
- by TATWORTH
In just over twelve days from now, the Messenger space probe will go into orbit around our innermost planet, Mercury. See http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/index.php for latest mission timings.
After 2405 days in space and 15+ circuits of the sun (see http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/whereis/index.php), it about to go into orbit around Mercury. It has flown by Earth, Venus and Mercury in order to change velocity sufficiently to be able to go into orbit without requiring a massive amount of propellant.