MESSENGER
AgencyNASA
Year2004-2015
TypeMercury orbit
RocketDelta II
CountryUSA
About the Mission
First spacecraft to orbit Mercury. Confirmed water ice in permanently shadowed craters at the poles. Mapped the entire surface. Discovered that Mercury has shrunk by up to 7 km in radius as its core cooled. Crashed into Mercury in 2015 after running out of fuel.
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