OTD In Space – April 30: MESSENGER Spacecraft Crashes Into Mercury - video Dailymotion

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On April 30, 2015, NASA's MESSENGER mission came to an end when the spacecraft intentionally crashed into the surface of Mercury.   MESSENGER was the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury and the second spacecraft to study it up close after NASA's Mariner 10 flew by the planet in the 1970s. MESSENGER spent four years orbiting Mercury. During that time, it mapped the surface of Mercury in unprecedented detail. The mission discovered water ice and organic compounds around Mercury's north pole. It also found that Mercury has a weird offset magnetic field that doesn't line up with its axis of rotation. The mission was only supposed to last one year, but NASA extended it twice so it could continue its groundbreaking observations of Mercury. It eventually ran out of fuel, so NASA intentionally crashed it into Mercury, where it created a new crater.

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00:00On this day in space. On April 30th, 2015, NASA's MESSENGER mission came to an end when the

00:07spacecraft intentionally crashed into the surface of Mercury. MESSENGER was the first spacecraft to

00:12orbit Mercury and the second spacecraft to study it up close after NASA's Mariner 10 flew by the

00:17planet in the 1970s. MESSENGER spent four years orbiting Mercury. During that time,

00:23it mapped the surface of Mercury in unprecedented detail. The mission discovered water ice and

00:28organic compounds around Mercury's North Pole. It also found that Mercury has a weird offset

00:33magnetic field that doesn't line up with its axis of rotation. The mission was only supposed to last

00:39one year, but NASA extended it twice so it could continue making its groundbreaking observations

00:44of Mercury. It eventually ran out of fuel, so NASA intentionally crashed it into Mercury,

00:49where it created a new crater. And that's what happened on this day in space.

00:58that was the opportunity to see it.

01:00While the spacecraft decided to be, it was just a degree, but NASA did not get the

01:01technology but NASA did not get the technology. It was very important as it was

01:05the planet 75th-year-old. It is a great idea that the spacecraft did not

01:07spurred it.

01:07The spacecraft didn't mean that it was perfect for one year, and that it had a

01:09lot of viscosity in the year. This one is a long-time-time-time-time- tonight.

01:10The spacecraft didn't really work, but it was good for us.

01:11But it was time to make a lot of pollution in the wind, but it is a huge

01:12narrative. I like to see it here, because it was actually an interesting

OTD In Space – April 30: MESSENGER Spacecraft Crashes Into Mercury

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