The first spacecraft to orbit Mercury 🛰️
#OTD in 2004, the MESSENGER spacecraft launched to Mercury. It returned nearly 300,000 images over its 4 years in Mercury's orbit, revealing past volcanic activity and the presence of water ice.
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/454jLvc
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In Depth | MESSENGER – NASA Solar System Exploration
NASA’s real-time science encyclopedia of deep space exploration. Our scientists and far-ranging robots explore the wild frontiers of our solar system.NASA Solar System Exploration