MESSENGER

MESSENGERThe MESSENGER probe (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) was launched by NASA in 2004. After several overflights of Venus and then Mercury, its speed was sufficiently reduced to be able to be placed in orbit around the latter on March 18 2011. It finally crashed into the planet on April 30 2015, having completed lower and lower orbits. In addition to information on the composition of the surface of Mercury, Messenger also successfully mapped the entire planet, revealing a surface covered in craters and round cliffs, and it also studied the magnetic field surrounding the planet.