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Messenger En Route To Mercury

Posted by timothy on from the luggage-is-going-to-phoenix dept.

Soft writes "NASA's Messenger space probe has lifted off on its second try on a Delta 2-Heavy rocket. As mentioned earlier on Slashdot, it is poised to orbit Mercury in 2011 after three flybys, as well as two flybys of Venus and one of Earth for course corrections. It will be the first probe to visit the innermost planet since Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975. Stories on the BBC and SpaceflightNow."

2 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. 2011? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not exactly Instant Messenger, is it?

  2. Messenger's telemetry log... by vudufixit · · Score: 4, Funny

    8-2-3004 2:15:56.537 EST: Departure Scan, Cape Canaveral 9-5-2005 Scan Venus gravitational assist 4-22-2008 Scan First flyby 12-14-2009 Scan Second flyby 6-12-2010 Scan Third flyby 2-01-2011 Scan Orbital Insertion ADDRESSEE NOT HOME, SIGNATURE WAIVED