MESSENGER

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on August 3, 2004. It returned to Earth for a gravity boost on August 2, 2005, then it flew past Venus twice, in October 2006 and June 2007. The spacecraft uses the tug of Venus’ gravity to resize and rotate its trajectory closer to Mercury’s orbit.
  Three Mercury flybys, each followed about two months later by a course correction maneuver, put MESSENGER in position to enter Mercury orbit in March 2011. During the flybys -- which occurred in January 2008, October 2008 and September 2009 -- MESSENGER mapped nearly the entire planet in color, imaged most of the areas unseen by Mariner 10, and measured the composition of the surface, atmosphere and magnetosphere. The three successful flybys of Mercury by the MESSENGER spacecraft returned the first new data from Mercury in more than 30 years. This data was invaluable as plans are made for MESSENGER’s yearlong orbital mission.

Mission goals include:

* Map the elemental and mineralogical composition of Mercury's surface;

* Global imaging of the surface at a resolution of hundreds of meters or better;

* Determining the structure of the planet's magnetic field;

* Measuring the planet's gravitational field structure; and

* Characterizing exosphere neutrals and accelerated magnetosphere ions.

On September 29, 2009, the MESSENGER spacecraft passed by Mercury for the third time for a final gravity assist that will enable it to enter orbit about Mercury in early 2011. The spacecraft passed by Mercury at an altitude of 142 miles and at a relative velocity of more than 12,000 miles per hour. As the spacecraft approached the planet, MESSENGER’s MDIS Wide Angle and Narrow Angle Cameras captured striking views, which show portions of Mercury's surface that had remained unseen by spacecraft even after the three flybys by Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975 and MESSENGER’s two earlier flybys in 2008. During this third and final flyby, the spacecraft captured images of five percent of the planet never before seen, and scientists continue to be surprised by new findings from the planet.

• EPPS – Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer
• GRNS – Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer
• MAG – Magnetometer
• MASCS – Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer
• MDIS – Mercury Dual Imaging System
• MLA – Mercury Laser Altimeter
• RS – Radio Science
• XRS – X-Ray Spectrometer

The Imaging Node archives MDIS science data. The Geosciences Node has information about archive responsibilities for other instruments.
  The multi-spectral MDIS has wide- and narrow-angle cameras (the “WAC” and “NAC”), both based on charge-coupled devices. The WAC has a 10.5 degree by 10.5 degree filed of view and can observe Mercury through 11 different filters and monochrome. The NAC can take black-and-white images at high resolution through its 1.5 degree by 1.5 degree field of view. MDIS will map the rugged landforms and spectral variations on Mercury’s surface in monochrome, color and stereo. MDIS data sets are produced by the MDIS Team at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland.

• Data Management and Science Analysis Plan
• Mission Description
• Spacecraft Description

Instrument and Data Archive Information

• MDIS
• EDR Dataset Description
• Calibrated Data Record (CDR) Data Set Description
• Derived Data Record (DDR) Data Set Description
• NAC Instrument Description
• WAC Instrument Description
• Personnel
• References
• EDR Data Product & Archive Volume SIS
• RDR Data Product & Archive Volume SIS (includes CDR, DDR, BDR and MDR)