Spacecraft Sends First Image From Mercury's Orbit

adeelarshad82 writes "NASA released an image of Mercury captured by its Messenger spacecraft — the first ever obtained from the planet's orbit. The first image came in at 5:20am Eastern yesterday, and over the next six hours, Messenger captured an additional 363 images, which are still being transmitted to the Messenger team on Earth. In the next three days, the spacecraft will capture another 1,185 images, with the goal of snapping 75,000 over the next year."

Comments

Amazing

[slashdance7]

Here you can see the first even complete map of mercury

Re:Amazing

[wjlafrance]

Thanks, I'm reading slashdot in class like a good student and just got tubgirl'd.

Re:Amazing

[h4rr4r]

GOATSE of course.
I did not even bother to look, but this same idiot has been doing this for weeks now. Fuck off asshole.

Re:Amazing

[slashdance7]

Wrong again! Its TubGirl Updates, you know...

Re:Amazing

[Silpher]

Thank god you thought of the kids.. thank you sir for at least having the decency to make her genitals unrecognisable

Re:Amazing

[h4rr4r]

That one is also a classic kiddo. Just discover trolling did we?
Go out, find new and more disgusting images young one. These old ones only make us feel nostalgic instead of revolted.

Re:Amazing

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrong again!

Its TubGirl
Updates, you know...

So umm, why do they blur out her pussy and her pussy only?

It's like the message is that her inflamed asshole and the liquid diarrhea it's spewing in a fountain that lands all over her face is okay. But showing her vagina, now that would just be indecent.

I am going to have to disagree with this message.

Re:Amazing

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm so glad I opened in new tab, saw the title, and closed the tab without viewing the content.

Re:Amazing

[slasher12]

Lesson learned,title updated

Re:Amazing

[slasher12]

I am aware of lots of very disgusting images. However, I don't want to cross a line and publish links to dead people, various deceases, etc. although I have seen many such images and I am not shocked by them. You know, trolling aside I am also a human.

Re:Amazing

[Quiet_Desperation]

Go out, find new and more disgusting images

Here you go.

Re:Amazing

[Anonymous Coward]

I would guess the picture originally came from Japan. Are there really any /.ers still unfamiliar with Japanese censorship laws?

Re:Amazing

[rhook]

At least it wasn't lemon party.

Re:Amazing

[rhook]

You need to grow up kid.

Re:Amazing

[strack]

the vagina is pixelated. how modest of them.

Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

Readers beware: it's actually a map of Uranus.

Re:Obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

Not so much a map as an exploded diagram.

Re:Obligatory

[mangu]

Readers beware: it's actually a map of Uranus.

no, unless "U" are an Asian girl suffering from an extreme case of digestive malfunction

Damn mobile versions

[audunr]

Reading this on an iPhone gives you an article about a photo, without the photo.

Re:Damn mobile versions

[h4rr4r]

So change the user agent of your browser. Same thing firefox users did for ages. Not sure if iPhone default browser supports that, but one of them must.

What I did on my android device.

Re:Damn mobile versions

[Anonymous Coward]

There's an android for that.

no, but seriously.. you need to wait for an app for that!

Re:Damn mobile versions

[Barryke]

So change the user agent of your browser. Same thing firefox users did for ages. Not sure if iPhone default browser supports that, but one of them must.

What I did on my android device.

Thanks i didnt know it had the option.

Mobile sites suck (unless consisting mainly of a menu or dropdownboxes.

Re:Damn mobile versions

[h4rr4r]

I was not sure it did, but it must be available somehow. Seems like a pretty basic feature to me.

Re:Damn mobile versions

[Snaller]

Don't worry, it looks like the moon!

When I was growing up....

[Deekin_Scalesinger]

They called that the Moon. All kidding aside, it looks like a shot of good 'ol Luna to these untrained eyes.

Re:When I was growing up....

[Anonymous Coward]

They called that the Moon. All kidding aside, it looks like a shot of good 'ol Luna to these untrained eyes.

The answer to that is so simple: shut the fuck up so that a higher percentage of posts are from people who know what they're talking about.

The concept is called signal-to-noise ratio. You are lowering it. Go back to the peanut gallery you pleeb.

Re:When I was growing up....

[Anonymous Coward]

The answer to that is so simple: shut the fuck up so that a higher percentage of posts are from people who know what they're talking about.

The concept is called signal-to-noise ratio. You are lowering it. Go back to the peanut gallery you pleeb.

This, OTOH, was entirely classy and conducive to enlightening discussion between folks more knowledgeable about the subject matter. Kudos.

Re:When I was growing up....

[Anonymous Coward]

The answer to that is so simple: shut the fuck up so that a higher percentage of posts are from people who know what they're talking about.

The concept is called signal-to-noise ratio. You are lowering it. Go back to the peanut gallery you pleeb.

This, OTOH, was entirely classy and conducive to enlightening discussion between folks more knowledgeable about the subject matter. Kudos.

Sure, blame the effect and not the cause. Brilliant!

Truth is, that was also entirely preventable. Perhaps Deekin Scalesinger has learned something. If it prevents the next waste of space it was more than worthwhile.

Re:When I was growing up....

[obscuro]

Space is such a beautiful desolate hell. Enough gravity to be round, not enough to hold a big, asteroid-burning atmosphere.

Umm yeah...

[sdguero]

Here are the actual photos: http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/

Re:Umm yeah...

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks; more and better images there.

Re:Umm yeah...

[briansct]

Where's my mod points when I need them MOD PARENT UP!

Re:Umm yeah...

[Locke2005]

Is it just me, or does the "First Color Image of Mercury" look pretty monochromatic?

Re:Umm yeah...

[cratermoon]

You were expecting perhaps green grass, still blue waters, amber waves of grain, and red poppies?

Re:Umm yeah...

[ackthpt]

Am I the only one disappointed they didn't find an O'Neill cylinder 54Km in length?

Re:Umm yeah...

[Anonymous Coward]

That site has no advertising arrangements like the other one does. So the aggregator does not see it..

Re:Umm yeah...

[Anonymous Coward]

When I have mod points (not infrequently) I have NEVER modded a comment up because someone suggests it. When I feel mean about it, I'll mod the post off-topic or redundant. Try offering your own insights if you have any; moderators don't need your (or other's) help in deciding what is cogent. Hope this helps.
------
During the preview I saw you got nailed. 'Twasn't me, but it underscores my point.

Re:Umm yeah...

[Unkyjar]

I was expecting a small French boy, with blonde hair, green outfit and a red bow-tie. Perhaps holding a butterfly net in his hand.

Re:Umm yeah...

[Reapman]

Mod parent up!

Mmm... burnt karma...

Re:Umm yeah...

[ElectricTurtle]

For somebody who pretends to be proud of their behavior, you sure are anonymous when you talk about it.

Re:Umm yeah...

[swanzilla]

Yes.

Re:Umm yeah...

[Locke2005]

Here you go.

Re:Umm yeah...

[blair1q]

No. They would have seen that with Hubble years ago.

Re:Umm yeah...

[Urkki]

...and this is why you should never RTFA before reading the comments. Thank you.

Re:Umm yeah...

[KingofSpades]

He's not on Mercury: you can find him on asteroid B612

WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

No atmosphere, and less craters than the Moon. Lame.

Re:WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention _fewer_ craters.

Never seen area..

[slasher12]

Am I the only one that sees another human face in the picture, like on Mars I know, we all trained to see the faces everywhere, so meh...

Re:Never seen area..

[Anonymous Coward]

you are one dedicated troll.

Re:Never seen area..

[Anonymous Coward]

You should vary your account names more.

Features named after REALLY old dead artists.

[Anonymous Coward]

Dammit! I wanted Mare Elvis! The Jimi Hendrix crater! MOUNT JANIS JOPLIN!

Re:Features named after REALLY old dead artists.

[icannotthinkofaname]

MOUNT JANIS JOPLIN!

Ew. No. I refuse. Would never hit that, ever. Especially not nowadays, with her being dead and all.

Re:Features named after REALLY old dead artists.

[similar_name]

$mount janis joplin
only root can do that

The age of multimedia

[mangu]

Reading this on an iPhone gives you an article about a photo, without the photo.

Look, kid, a phone is for talking, OK? What do you want to see pictures on a phone for?

Why not post the actual NASA link?

[RockClimbingFool]

Seriously.

Here is the link to the NASA press release.

And here is the link to the image.

This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Pnarp]

There are six key questions NASA hopes to answer during Messenger's year-long orbit of Mercury: why is Mercury so dense;

Aliens.

what is the planet's geological history;

Aliens.

what is the nature of Mercury's magnetic field;

Alien warp engines.

what is the structure of Mercury's core;

Alien space station.

what are the unusual materials (ice?) at Mercury's poles;

Alien ice.

and what volatiles are important at Mercury?

Aliens farting.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Jarik C-Bol]

you're worse than those people that thing Saturn's moon Iapetus is a huge spacecraft built by an ancient human civilization on mars to escape catastrophe and eventually settle on earth parking there spaceship at saturn for god knows what dumb reason.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Unkyjar]

I think I'd enjoy that Sci-Fi book.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Grog6]

Fuck the book; I want the Ship!

lol

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Merls the Sneaky]

You lost your keys, it's aliens, a picture falls off the wall, it's aliens, and that time we used a whole bog roll in a day, that was aliens as well.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Unkyjar]

Ouch. Paper cuts.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[aquabat]

No seriously, what book is that? I think I'd like to read it too. Sounds similar to A.C. Clarke's Venus Prime, written by Paul Preuss.

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Pnarp]

But what about that time I got my head wedged in a railing...? Was that aliens too...?

Re:This comment approved by 4 out of 5 squirrels

[Jarik C-Bol]

Actually, I ran across the theory doing research on the Nephilim (don't ask). Ran into a website devoted to the theory, with in depth analysis of photos of Lapetus, and pages of 'explanation.' If its a book, I've never read it.

hmm

[Trailer Trash]

The first image came in at 5:20am Eastern yesterday

What's the local time on Mercury for that?

Re:hmm

[Required Snark]

Summertime

Re:hmm

[Unkyjar]

I see, it must be summertime, because Mercury is rising. *grin duck flee*

Re:hmm

[Erikderzweite]

Hammertime!

Re:hmm

[Convector]

Using local time on Mercury is only so useful to us. A solar day (e.g., sunrise to sunrise) on Mercury lasts for 176 Earth days.

Re:hmm

[DanielRavenNest]

It's always Sunday on Mercury

What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

The unmanned space program continues to bring in scientific data at a steady rate. What has the manned space program done for science lately? What is the manned space program good for?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Unkyjar]

It took Science out for dinner and a movie, maybe some small talk. I don't think the Manned Space Program wants to get too emotionally committed to Science with all the two-timing that Science is doing.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

Correct. Manned space flight is mostly a stunt that has its roots in the Cold War dick waving between the superpowers of the era. It is a nostalgic thing now, serving no other purpose than providing A-type personalities the chance to be a passenger on highly automated, routine missions that accomplish nothing of value. Manned space flight is not exploring anything, and it's certainly not science either.

Machines are getting better, we aren't.

Just listen to this podcast. Very instructive. Voyager and the Third Age of Discovery

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Unkyjar]

While there may not be a lot of exploration and discovery, it doesn't mean that there isn't any science being done.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/List.html

Maybe they need flashier experiments?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

Junk science. If these "experiments" where done by anyone else but NASA, geeks would scoff and laugh at these absurd experiments. If I pooped into a Ziploc and waited to see how long it took to double in volume, IN FREE FALL, that's science to you?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh and in case my "stunt" reference is too obscure, a brilliant if forgotten figure, Vannevar Bush called manned space flight a stunt. I tend to agree.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Unkyjar]

I suppose if your poop explosively grows in volume in micro-gravity, you probably have bigger worries than trying to arbitrarily decide what is and isn't science.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Jarik C-Bol]

actually, yes. That sort of information is important if we ever are going to send people interesting places. Sure, its far fetched, but pretend we figure out how to teraform a planet within the solar system. knowing how fast feces expands in volume in free fall becomes important if your moving several thousand people across interplanetary distances for colonization. It may seem pointless to YOU, but some of us hold hope that mankind's exploration of space did not stop at the moon.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

Never going to happen. Nice to have dreams, but you know it's not possible, right? People are fragile, technology is unreliable, and the basic physics of the problem is stacked against you. The universe is billions of years old, billions of light years across, and you think an organism with a useful lifespan of a few years and a biology adapted to eat and reproduce on a planet is going to do anything in space?

There's also the problem that our technology has plateaued with oil. There is no other way to move than push against something or throw something away. Jet engines, rockets, you get the idea. There is no other physics, and there is no other technology.

The usual optimist replies with something along the lines of the examples of the pessimists against airplanes, etc. The difference is that those skeptics were silenced within a few years, usually by one or two guys working in their garage. Like the Wright Brothers, Goddard or Charles Lindbergh. They all worked with very simple machines that used gasoline or kerosene engines to bring raw power to solve the problem.

The vast, delirious and delusional promises of the Space Age haven't materialized in decades. That should tell you something. What has gotten better since the Space Age is our capacity to make smaller transistors and twiddle around with molecules. That's it, that's all.

You can't program your way to Low Earth Orbit. You can't Kevlar your way to the Moon.

That's the difference between the early 20th century and now. There have been no new energy sources, no new physics, no new elements to allow any progress on the material side. I see that a lot on tech sites. Otherwise sane and rational people completely misunderstanding the nature of technology and progress. They think that because their hard drives have gotten more storage and are cheaper, that automatically our energy sources and propulsion technologies have scaled by the same amount.

Information theory suggests that the ultimate limit for energy to represent a bit is very very low. We can keep going lower and lower energy-wise and computerize every ant on the planet. On the other end, humans weigh the same, gravity is the same, kerosene has the same energy density and propulsion technology hasn't changed since WWII.

The 747 had its maiden flight in 1969 and the F-15 in 1972.

Think about what computers looked like back then. But consider that the 747, the F-15 and the Saturn V still look the same, act the same and are based on the same technology as back then, and no one laughs when you look at them today.

Unless some new physics happens, what you see is IT. You don't think so? Prove me wrong. The Wright Brothers did it in a bike shop with late 19th century technology in a few years, with no computers, no mass-production and nothing more than a big kite.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Jarik C-Bol]

you said it yourself "unless some new physics happens" well there you go, i can hope that we don't know all there is to know about the universe, and that someone finds some new quirk of reality, which leads to some new technology that allows us to explore beyond our planet. hope. Is HOPE so offensive? I'm not saying it WILL happen, i'm saying I HOPE it does. As for the science they do in space, sure, a lot of things humanity has learned may have seemed useless at the time (heck, learning that the earth is round, and what its radius is was not useful to anyone until a long time after it was learned) but it MAY become useful to us someday.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

So you have a religion. You have nothing. You have a hope. What if the new physics shows even more that space colonization won't ever happen? What then?

I HOPE that science will bring me life extension. But I know that HOPE doesn't move mass around. And why do you bring the word "offensive" into this? Reality is offensive to you? You haven't addressed a single one of my points. You just went off and talked like the typical Space Nutter geeks do, that they have some sort of HOPE about space. Why? What for? What is so attractive about space?

It's empty, utterly hostile, a radiation-blasted vacuum with bare cold rocks or frozen wastelands or scorching blinding rocks.

Is there something wrong in your life that you don't like this planet? You want to live in a rubber suit, in free fall, while your body disintegrates, you eat recycled oatmeal, while people on Earth run in shorts on the beach, ride bikes and have barbeques?

What is it about space and rockets that's so compelling? I see submarines, I don't want to live on the bottom of the ocean. But you see a rocket, and you get all this irrational *hope*?

Why? You KNOW we don't have the energy, technology or resources to do so. We didn't have them even *during* the Space Age. So why waste your time? There's plenty to HOPE about RIGHT. HERE!!

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Waffle Iron]

knowing how fast feces expands in volume in free fall becomes important if your moving several thousand people across interplanetary distances for colonization

As far as "putting the cart before the horse" goes, this one takes the cake.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

You should try to falsify your hypothesis by, say, trying to figure out what dark energy is.

Weren't all the physics problems supposed to have been solved at the end of the 1800s, and Planck was considering entering some other field? How do you know your predictions aren't as wrong as those?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Pennidren]

Why did the chicken cross the road?
Why did people ever bother to sail across the barren wasteland that is the ocean?
Living without dreams is not something I am interested in. It has nothing to do with hope; it is about discovery and magic.

To address your comments regarding lack of "real" technological advances over the last decades, you glazed over perhaps the most promising area of future progress: biotech. IT (which you admitted is improving quite readily) will make cracking the DNA code far more feasible. With the ability to rewrite life (and ourselves) from the ground up, meaningful space exploration could become quite attainable. Who says we will still need to breathe or eat; why not absorb solar power directly?
I am sorry that you can't go in your garage and grow a human with wings yet, but a native in the rainforest can't create a bicycle with sticks either. Why should he waste his time trying?

Lead, follow, or get out of the way, my friend.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Jarik C-Bol]

to address all your 'points', I essentially have to post a paper demonstrating that I've found some new law of physics, which obviously, I cant. I'm just saying that some people still have that bizarre wanderlust to see what is over the next ridge, or past that next sea. Sure, its essentially useless to humanity at this stage, as the globe has basicly been explored for all practical purposes. Fine, its not "offensive" and yes there is plenty to "Hope" for right here on earth, Fine, thats all well and dandy, but I don't see a problem with some people trying to look beyond this marble into the vast unknown. and if its the money that gets spent on these 'junk science' projects that bothers you, then get bothered by the fact that americans spend more on cell phones in a year than they do on the entire space program. as for 'you cant program your way into orbit' sure you can, better simulations and models allow us to design better vehicles that are more efficient, or perhaps find better orbital insertion trajectories. 'you cant kevlar your way to the moon' You absolutely can. Better materials science can bring us lighter, stronger materials, or more effective radiation shields. Sure, humans are pathetic mal-adapted meatbags in space, but we're not meant to be on top of mount everest, or in a bathysphere in the bottom of the mariana trench either. The thing that attracts some of us to space is the fact that there is so damn much of it out there, so it seems a pity to not dream of seeing it. You may be dead set against the idea of *anyone* wanting to step of this planet to see what is out there in person, but that does not mean that no one can like the idea. have a nice day.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[ZerothAngel]

And hey, maybe we'll get to the point where we won't even have to physically leave the Earth's gravity well in order for us to explore space. Send the machines out first. Even if propulsion tech never advances beyond what we have today, who cares how long they take to reach their destinations?

But once they arrive, they point their receivers back to Earth.

Because, after all, what travels as fast as light? Well for one, there's light itself...

Send minds, not bodies.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a Space Nutter crossed with a Singularitarian, twice the loon. Well, either that or a Greg Egan fan. ;)

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a long troll post there. History has proved people who say never wrong over and over again. You could put your argument into any time period and replace all of your examples with others from hundreds of arguments like yours that get proven wrong and forgotten. Did you have an ancestor that worked at the patent office a hundred years ago that proclaimed all of the discoveries that could be made have been?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

So you admit it's a dream? I have a dream of powerfully advanced medicine to allow very real useful life extension.

"Why did people ever bother to sail across the barren wasteland that is the ocean?"

So let's see, you think a place that has gravity, air, the correct temperature, WATER, and is FULL OF FISH, provides a medium that allows you to FLOAT, has wind for propulsion, water for steering, comes with free light, and at night comes with free navigation aids, you call that BARREN?

Of course, the fact that the human race has been able to cross that "Wasteland" for CENTURIES using nothing more advanced than CARVED TREES, means nothing to you?

You honestly believe that space is the same as the ocean? I have to say you're a fucking moron. A god damn clueless fucking idiot if you don't understand the difference between the immediately deadly nature of space, and the great things the oceans provide for us.

Lay off the childish and delusional sci-fi for two minutes and THINK. It hurts a bit at first, but it's worth it.

So to answer your question, "why", because they knew there was a DESTINATION at the end, IDIOT. And that it dodn't KILL THEM the second they went on it.

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way, my friend."

I'm not even sure what that has to do with anything, but I'm guessing you think getting pictures from Mercury is all about the future, and the great shiny things humans will do. Once again, you're a fucking moron. Worse than that, you probably don't even know you're a moron, and won't even listen to people who will try to SHOW you that you're a moron.

WHAT leading? You Space whackjobs have had HALF A CENTURY to do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Nothing but empty promises, fallacies, untruths, impossibilities, dreams, delusions and fantasies. You show NOTHING. Do NOTHING. Bring NOTHING.

You REALLY want to lead? BIOTECHNOLOGY.

Most of you nerds/geeks are too fucking stupid and scared to learn how even ONE cell works, let alone the entire human body. Yet here you have an entire universe of things to study and learn about. Yet you don't want to.

You are stuck on pathetically childish Space Age dreams from DECADES ago that NEVER EVER made sense. Why don't you give it up?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

Human history has been one of expansion. It has also been advantagous to us as a species when we expand. Only ignorance of that history would think space exploration has no benefits. None of your points support your argument. All of the examples you gave were steps in the steady progress of human technology. Bikes and internal combustion engines and kites were all technologies that made building a plane possible. Planes came before jets came before rockets came before ? There's a pattern here, can you not see it? It isn't religion to expect human knowledge to grow, human territory to grow or to expect our ability to build things to become cheaper.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Pennidren]

On the off chance that I did not just succumb to a troll, why are you so set against pursuing possibilities?
I never said it would happen. I said I am not interested in living with your mindset that it won't.

Lead those that seek complete understanding of the universe, follow those that have the strength to carry on, or get out of the way and live in your reality. We aren't worried about those that already know everything. I do not know if space does or does not hold a place for us, just as I am not going to fool myself into thinking that I know whether there is or there is not a god. If that makes me a moron then, well, let's just say we would be standing at opposite sides of the room at any party we might happen to both attend. I think your side will be having a lot more fun, certainly!

Life at sea is not a cake walk. If you think so, you obviously have never spent any non-trivial time on a boat. With the limited technology of the time, undertaking such journeys was "moronic". Sure space is worse, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. The thrill of the hunt, the challenge. If you don't feel it, what can I say?
I am not sure how carved metal is much different than carved trees. Perhaps one day our descendants will look back and will be amazed that we could accomplish what we have without "Future Technology 42".

I am sorry that we could not accomplish whatever would satisfy your expectations within half a century. I guess incremental progress is worthless since you won't live to enjoy the full results?

We do have an entire universe on Earth to study and learn about. I think we should definitely focus less on actual immediate space travel and more on longterm education. But you might want to read the writing on the wall; the Earth just isn't big enough for the two (hundred billion) of us.

I am sorry I riled you up to the point of incoherence. Or maybe you can explain why you feel that nerds/geeks are scared to learn how a cell works? There are plenty of us that are interested in understanding life. The implicit grammars involved in DNA are damn well fascinating for a automata "Nutter" like myself.

In summary, stop being such a stick in the mud. Oh, and maybe you could control your slavering insults. Although, again, I should know better than to be attracted to the primary tool of the troll.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Teun]

Never going to happen. Nice to have dreams, but you know it's not possible, right?
You can't program your way to Low Earth Orbit. You can't Kevlar your way to the Moon.
That's the difference between the early 20th century and now.

You troll.

The only thing changed since the advent of space travel is that we are no longer willing to take a great risk.

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Anonymous Coward]

We'd be using the same fuels, same rockets, same engines. We'd be going to the same places that we already know what they look like. How is that trolling? So basically you're right: "The only thing changed since the advent of space travel" is exactly nothing. Who wants to risk their lives to go nowhere? Do you sincerely think you're achieving some grand design for the entire human race or something?

Re:What have astronauts done lately?

[Teun]

With the existing technology we can go new places, especially our communications and navigation have over the past forty years taken great strides.

The type of rocket is very secondary, we know these are going to be long trips.

And yes, this would be a great step for mankind.

The "color" images look gray

[Troll-Under-D'Bridge]

Lame indeed. I just took a look at Messenger's supposed First Color Image of Mercury from Orbit. I thought I'd gone color blind. It looked so gray. Trying to reproduce the subtle shades in a color printer would be a terrible waste of ink or toner, as you'd be forced to go Cyan-Magenta-Yellow (CMY) to print out something not quite Black (K) or gray.

The mission may yet turn up some astounding scientific discovery, but Mercury isn't a very photogenic planet, as far as celestial bodies go.

PCMag? WTF?

[sirrunsalot]

Why in the name of all things holy does this link to pcmag? For godsake just go to nasa.gov. It doesn't make too much of a difference on this topic, but it's getting really bad. Just look at the Fukushima stories. I know it sounds silly to complain so much, but people seriously need to learn the difference—and more importantly how to find—primary sources. Intentional or not, there's a huge amount of misinformation out there and there's just no reason every article on /. needs to be routed through a blog post or two before you give up and go looking for the source material on your own. /. is clearly not the place for me. Will paste unknown garbage into password field and block site shortly...

Actually

[mister_playboy]

Hubble has never taken pictures of Mercury because the risk of pointing the telescope that near to the Sun is too great.

Re:Actually

[blair1q]

Hubble could get the picture when the Earth is between Hubble and the sun.

Unless Mercury itself is just too bright.