Robotic Missions in Sun-Earth Space - Messenger

MESSENGER stands for Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging. The spacecraft was launched on August 3, 2004, and will achieve orbit around Mercury in March 2011 for a one-year visit. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. During its journey MESSENGER will conduct flybys of Venus in October 2006 and June 2007. When it reaches Mercury the spacecraft will produce images of the entire surface of the planet and collect data on its composition, geology, atmosphere, and magnetosphere.

Future Discovery Missions

Future Discovery missions will explore asteroids in our solar system and look for planets in other solar systems. The Dawn mission is scheduled to launch in June 2006. Beginning in 2010 the spacecraft will assume an orbit around the asteroids Vesta and Ceres. These are the oldest and largest asteroids in our solar system. The Kepler mission will launch in June 2008 and assume an Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit (an orbit behind the Earth around the Sun). It will survey a region of the Milky Way looking for planets similar to Earth. The spacecraft will be pointed toward the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. Primary stars in this region include Vega, Deneb, and Albireo.

In addition to these primary missions NASA plans to conduct a mission of opportunity aboard an Indian spacecraft prior to 2010. Chandrayaan-1 will be a lunar orbit spacecraft launched by the Indian Space Research Organization. In the Hindi language the term Chandrayaan means "voyage to the Moon." NASA expects to contribute two scientific instruments to the mission.