The United States sent two spacecraft to the planet Mercury. Mariner 10 explored Mercury in the time period 1974-1975 and Messenger explored from 2008 to 2015. Mariner 10 was the first ever spacecraft to reach Mercury. It made three flybys of the planet, orbiting the sun between flybys. Thousands of high-quality photographs and other data were returned. Messenger was placed in a polar orbit around Mercury, and it mapped the entire surface with high-quality photographs. A radar altimeter returned data for a topographical map of Mercury.
U.S. Spacecraft that Explored Mercury: Mariner 10 and Messenger
Springer Praxis Books(formerly: Springer-Praxis Series)
2023-07-01
60 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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