The MESSENGER spacecraft has been in space for over a decade, but now it is running out of fuel. Due to run out in March 2015, engineers on the MESSENGER team have been set to the task of working out how to extend its mission life. And they have found an answer.
The MESSENGER probe was launched aboard Boeing’s Delta II rocket on 3 August 2004 from LC 17B at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Delta II rocket was used to place the spacecraft in a trajectory that would intercept Mercury six years later. And so it did. On the 18 March 2011 the probe successfully entered an elliptical orbit around the planet, with the first orbital image of Mercury obtained just over a week later.
There were a number of scientific discoveries discovered in the first six months in Mercury’s orbit. These included unexpectedly high concentrations of magnesium and calcium found on Mercury’s nightside, and that Mercury’s magnetic field is offset far to the north of the planet’s centre.
In November 2012, NASA announced that MESSENGER had discovered both ice and organic compounds in the shadowed craters of Mercury’s north pole. Furthermore, scientists speculated that this organic material may have been delivered by a comet or asteroid many, many years ago.
The MESSENGER probe was launched aboard Boeing’s Delta II rocket on 3 August 2004 from LC 17B at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Delta II rocket was used to place the spacecraft in a trajectory that would intercept Mercury six years later. And so it did. On the 18 March 2011 the probe successfully entered an elliptical orbit around the planet, with the first orbital image of Mercury obtained just over a week later.
There were a number of scientific discoveries discovered in the first six months in Mercury’s orbit. These included unexpectedly high concentrations of magnesium and calcium found on Mercury’s nightside, and that Mercury’s magnetic field is offset far to the north of the planet’s centre.
In November 2012, NASA announced that MESSENGER had discovered both ice and organic compounds in the shadowed craters of Mercury’s north pole. Furthermore, scientists speculated that this organic material may have been delivered by a comet or asteroid many, many years ago.
With just a little liquid propellant left onboard the MESSENGER spacecraft, it can no longer make adjustments to its trajectory. This would mean an inevitable impact with Mercury’s surface. However, the engineers working on the MESSENGER probe have found that the use of helium gas that was used to pressurise MESSENGER’s propellant tanks could also be used to make small adjustments to its trajectory and hence extend the mission’s lifetime.
As APL’s Stewart Busman puts it, "The team continues to find inventive ways to keep MESSENGER going, all while providing an unprecedented vantage point for studying Mercury."
As APL’s Stewart Busman puts it, "The team continues to find inventive ways to keep MESSENGER going, all while providing an unprecedented vantage point for studying Mercury."