Photo: Bill Ingalls · Public domain (US government)
Mission
Planetary Science · LEO
MESSENGER was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. The name is a backronym for "MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging", and a reference to the messenger god…
What it put in orbit
| Object | Type | Orbit | Globe |
|---|---|---|---|
| DELTA 2 R/B(1) 2004-030B | Rocket body | re-entered 2005-05-02 | |
| MESSENGER 2004-030A | Payload | re-entered 2015-04-30 | |
| DELTA 2 R/B(2) 2004-030C | Rocket body | orbits the Sun |
COSPAR ID 2004-030. Orbits from the CelesTrak satellite catalogue (perigee × apogee, inclination).