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NASA probe reaches Mercury

By the CNN Wire Staff
March 18, 2011 -- Updated 0728 GMT (1528 HKT)
It took the Messenger spacecraft more than 6 years to make the 4.9-billion-mile trip to Mercury.
It took the Messenger spacecraft more than 6 years to make the 4.9-billion-mile trip to Mercury.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • It takes the probe more than six years to get to Mercury
  • It's a 4.9-billion-mile (7.9-billion-kilometer) journey to the solar system's innermost plant
  • The space agency is hoping to get the first pictures from the probe by month's end
  • The primary science phase of the mission is scheduled to begin April 4.
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(CNN) -- NASA's Mercury probe Messenger has become the first spacecraft to go into orbit around the closest plant to the Sun.

Confirmation of the probe entering Mercury's orbit was received Thursday evening.

"Achieving Mercury orbit was by far the biggest milestone since Messenger was launched more than six and a half years ago," said Messenger Project Manager Peter Bedini, of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

"This accomplishment is the fruit of a tremendous amount of labor on the part of the navigation, guidance-and-control, and mission operations teams, who shepherded the spacecraft through its 4.9-billion-mile (7.9-billion-kilometer) journey."

The space agency is hoping to get the first pictures back from the Messenger probe in orbit by the end of the month. The primary science phase of the mission is scheduled to begin April 4.

"Despite its proximity to Earth, the planet Mercury has for decades been comparatively unexplored," said Sean Solomon, Messenger principal investigator.

"For the first time in history, a scientific observatory is in orbit about our solar system's innermost planet," he said. "Mercury's secrets, and the implications they hold for the formation and evolution of Earth-like planets, are about to be revealed."

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  • songohan
    Well since the USA are moving money to fat the banks and insurance companies... this one is the last mission to Mercury for the next 30 years. Since the private companies will only do a mission like this if they are payed 1.9 billion up hand even if they fail the orbital insertion.So lets use our be... more
  • vikingo
    Too bad Bin Lederhosen, GhadfiDuck, and AhmedDinnerJacket weren't stuck on that ride to discuss ridding outer space of all the infidels.
  • giamatard
    "become the first spacecraft to go into orbit around the closest plant to the Sun." All the plants that orbit the Sun are on this planet.Headline should read " Intelligence on Mercury found to be greater than earth bound news room! '
  • helenecha
    Oh, my God! We have waited for more than six years. Frankly speaking, I couldn't even wait for six days. It seems pretty much educational for me. Congratulations to NASA probe reaches Mercury safely!
  • RayCambridge

    Everybody is a comedian...
  • RayCambridge

    The following is contained in the CNN FAQ:

    "Anybody who disagrees with the CNN editorial lines or forum policies, can go to Faux themselves:

    http://www.foxnews.com
  • RayCambridge

    How on Earth (actually, on Mercury) can the semiconductors work at those temperatures???

    -Ramon The EE Major
  • RayCambridge

    It should be faster to travel to Mercury than to Mars, since they are on their way down...
  • RayCambridge

    "temperature is just another aspect of hardening. "

    Yeah, I noticed the gold shield. I recall some Apollo model I assembled also came with a gold foil. I guess my question is: how close is it possible to get to the sun?
  • bbadger
    That's what radiation and temperature hardening is for in addition to insulation and shielding. All probes have to deal with cosmic radiation too, so temperature is just another aspect of hardening.
  • Spinoff55
    Heh... what credibility?
  • melvinjonas
    The closest plant from the sun? Isn't that called a Sunflower? hehehe
  • Joes4evr2
    in search of life on the sun
  • war2war
    Wow - this is educational - I thought Mercury was 57 million miles from earth...interesting plant.
  • surefire180
    The journey to Mercury was not in a straight line, numpty.
  • giamatard
    I thought the Mercury plant was in Detroit?
  • bbadger
    Not anymore, Ford closed that one, and that's why the probe has to go to the planet.
  • melvinjonas
    hahahahahahah... I love that one! Great feedback giamatard
  • giamatard
    I hear the leaves from the mercury plant go great with peanut butter. OMG This Just In CNNyour true liberal news source, Announced it has hired 3 yr old Daf E. Duc as chief editor . Mr. Duc will be charged with ensuring accurate and grammaticality correct content..
  • MGrant
    Closest 'plant' to the Sun??? HAHAHAHAHA
  • USArmy1477
    I didn't know...I feel really stupid. I didn't realize Mercury was a plant. On a brighter note: NASA is amazing, I love typos and I cannot sing karaoke at all. Have a nice day.
  • homerbond007
    Will it also probe "UR ANUS??
  • RayCambridge

    The "Rings of Uranus". If you are going to ell a joke, tell it well.
  • Guest
    I cannot wait to see what this scientific expedition will reveal! This is going to be awesome! I love you NASA. Space Exploration gives me great hope for our species.
  • jpm1962
    4.9 billion miles to make its trip to Mercury? Nice fact checking. The total distance the probe traveled was 4.9 billion during it 2 previous fly by and now subsequent entry into orbit around the planet.