NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, Geochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft, otherwise known as MESSENGER has successfully entered into orbit around Mercury at 9pm EDT Thursday March 17th. This is the first time any craft has accomplished this feat and will allow scientists to study the planet in greater detail than ever before.

Mission controllers held their breath as the craft approached its insertion point, MESSENGER’s thrusters fired into action at 8.45pm EDT slowing the spacecraft down by almost 2,000 miles per hour allowing its smooth passage into orbit around the innermost planet.

The craft began almost immediately to transmit data back to Earth but the focus in the next few weeks will be to make sure MESSENGER is coping well in the harsh environment.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said “This mission will continue to revolutionize our understanding of Mercury during the coming year, MESSENGER is a great example of how our scientists are innovating to push the envelope of human knowledge.”

Sean Solomon, MESSENGER principal investigator of the Carnegie Institution of Washington said “Despite its proximity to Earth the planet Mercury has for decades been comparatively unexplored, for the first time in history a scientific observatory is in orbit about our solar system's innermost planet. Mercury's secrets, and the implications they hold for the formation and evolution of Earth-like planets are about to be revealed.”

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