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<blockquote data-quote="Channel Hopper" data-source="post: 54202" data-attributes="member: 175144">The Messenger spacecraft has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral on its six year journey to MercuryThe designs of modern rockets mean that it would be impossible to carry enough fuel for a straight journey (taking only four months) and so by&nbsp; use of gravity assist methods, interplanetary travel is achieved using multiple flybys of the earth (and in the case of Messenger, Venus) , to gain enough momentum to get to Mercury. As a result of this slingshot method the craft will get there in about three years, but will be travelling at a speed that prevents it from attaining orbit around the planet. It will have to carry out two more solar orbits before it is slow enough to be captured by the planets gravitational forces.Once there there are a plethora of instruments on board to allow the scientists to determine what is the least understood of the inner planets, all shielded by a man made piece of ceramic to prevent the searing heat of the sun from cooking them.for more info<a href="http://www.thespacesite.com/community/index.php?showtopic=964" target="_blank">http://www.thespacesite.com/community/index.php?showtopic=964</a><a href="http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/" target="_blank">http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/</a>A couple of days late with this one, I was more occupied with the upcoming space walk on the ISS</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Channel Hopper, post: 54202, member: 175144"] The Messenger spacecraft has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral on its six year journey to Mercury The designs of modern rockets mean that it would be impossible to carry enough fuel for a straight journey (taking only four months) and so by use of gravity assist methods, interplanetary travel is achieved using multiple flybys of the earth (and in the case of Messenger, Venus) , to gain enough momentum to get to Mercury. As a result of this slingshot method the craft will get there in about three years, but will be travelling at a speed that prevents it from attaining orbit around the planet. It will have to carry out two more solar orbits before it is slow enough to be captured by the planets gravitational forces. Once there there are a plethora of instruments on board to allow the scientists to determine what is the least understood of the inner planets, all shielded by a man made piece of ceramic to prevent the searing heat of the sun from cooking them. for more info [url]http://www.thespacesite.com/community/index.php?showtopic=964[/url] [url]http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/[/url] A couple of days late with this one, I was more occupied with the upcoming space walk on the ISS [/QUOTE]

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