Space Probe Swings by Mercury

[Ian David]

Source: Space.com

By Tariq Malik Staff Writer posted: 14 January 2008 5:05 pm ET

LAUREL, Md. - For the first time in 33 years, a space probe zoomed by the planet Mercury with cameras blazing on Monday while eager scientists looked on from Earth.

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft successfully flew past its target planet at 2:04:39 p.m. EST (1904:39 GMT) as applause filled its mission control room here at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

"It went right according to script, so that was very comforting," MESSENGER principal investigator Sean Solomon, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, told SPACE.com after the flyby.

MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging - skimmed just 124 miles (200 km) over the surface of its target planet during the first of three planned flybys to guide the spacecraft toward an eventual orbit around the small rocky world on March 18, 2011.



Read more: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080114-messenger-flyby-wrap.html

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See also:

Today's Mercury Flyby To Be the First Since 1974
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=228&topic_id=37379&mesg_id=37379

[Bicoastal]

1. Just to see what's shakin' over there...nt

[Faygo Kid]

2. Come fly with me, come fly, come fly away. . .

Sinatra. Still the best.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. OMD! When I was 4, that was my favorite album and fav song!

And I used to think the lady had a pineapple ring around her wrist
For some reason, I thought they were getting ready to fly to Hawaii
'Course, that was back in the late '50s, and everyone was going to Hawaii! :rofl:

[edbermac]

3. Still waiting to see the pictures of Uranus.

You knew that one was coming. :rofl: