Source : wikipedia
Introduction:
The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in our solar system. Its proximity to the sun makes it a challenging target for space exploration, with extreme temperatures, radiation, and solar winds to contend with. Despite these challenges, several space missions have been conducted to study Mercury, providing important insights into the planet’s composition, geology, and atmosphere.
In this article, we will explore the various space missions that have been conducted on the planet Mercury and the discoveries that have been made through these missions. We will begin with a brief overview of the planet Mercury, followed by a discussion of the various space missions that have been conducted to study the planet.
Overview of Mercury:
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of only 4,880 kilometers. It is also the closest planet to the sun, with an average distance of 57.9 million kilometers. Due to its proximity to the sun, Mercury has a very short year of only 88 Earth days, and a very slow rotation period of 59 Earth days.
Mercury has a very thin atmosphere, with a surface pressure that is about 10^-15 times that of Earth’s atmosphere. The planet’s surface is characterized by vast plains, craters, and mountains. Its surface is also heavily cratered, indicating that it has been bombarded by asteroids and comets for billions of years.
Space Missions to Mercury:
Several space missions have been conducted to study the planet Mercury, providing important insights into the planet’s composition, geology, and atmosphere. These missions include:
- Mariner 10:
Mariner 10 was the first space mission to study the planet Mercury. Launched by NASA in 1973, Mariner 10 was a flyby mission that conducted three flybys of Mercury in 1974 and 1975. During its flybys, Mariner 10 provided the first close-up images of the planet, revealing its heavily cratered surface and its tenuous atmosphere. Mariner 10 also discovered that Mercury has a weak magnetic field, which is thought to be generated by its partially molten core.
- MESSENGER:
MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) was a NASA mission that was launched in 2004 and orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015. During its mission, MESSENGER provided the most detailed view of the planet’s surface to date, revealing new features such as hollows, which are depressions on the surface that are thought to be formed by the sublimation of volatile material. MESSENGER also discovered evidence of water ice on the planet’s poles, which is thought to be protected from the sun’s heat by the shadowed craters.
- BepiColombo:
BepiColombo is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) that was launched in 2018 and is expected to arrive at Mercury in 2025. BepiColombo consists of two orbiters, the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO). The MPO will study the planet’s surface, composition, and geology, while the MMO will study the planet’s magnetic field and its interaction with the solar wind.
- Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MSE):
MSE is a proposed NASA mission that would send a lander to the surface of Mercury to study its composition and geology in detail. The mission is currently under study and is expected to launch in the late 2020s or early 2030
