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MESSENGER News Thread, news, updates and discussion
paxdan
post Apr 20 2005, 11:22 AM
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Launched on August 3rd 2004, NASA's MESSENGER will become the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury.

News and updates are availbale via Johns Hopkins University MESSENGER website and the Kennedy Space Center's MESSENGER website.

There will be an earth flyby in August followed by a couple of swings by Venus and three velocity scrubbing passages past mecury before the craft enters orbit in March 2011.

April 18, 2005 status report from JHU. Extensive JHU FAQs page here.
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Guest_BruceMoomaw_*
post Dec 12 2005, 09:21 PM
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http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html : Messenger fired its big engine successfully for almost 9 minutes on Dec. 12 -- the last component of the craft that hadn't been operated until then. So everything works (except for occasional software collywobbles). Now if everything will just continue working...
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ljk4-1
post Dec 14 2005, 07:45 PM
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A thought from someone on another space list:

Will MESSENGER and Venus Express conduct any joint studies on Venus like Galileo and Cassini did with Jupiter in 2000? And if they can and do, what could they do together that they could not do alone?


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"After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined,
and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance.
I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard,
and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does
not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is
indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have
no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft."

- Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853

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Guest_AlexBlackwell_*
post Dec 14 2005, 08:28 PM
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It might be possible during the June 2007 flyby; however, MESSENGER won't be collecting science data during the October 2006 flyby (due to solar conjunction), so that opportunity is out.
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angel1801
post Mar 23 2006, 11:10 AM
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QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Dec 15 2005, 05:58 AM) *
It might be possible during the June 2007 flyby; however, MESSENGER won't be collecting science data during the October 2006 flyby (due to solar conjunction), so that opportunity is out.


This is because Mercury transits the Sun on November 8 (19:14 UT) to November 9 (00:15 UT). And transits can only occur at inferior conjunction ie when Mercury anf Earth line up in a straight line anf Mercury is at "New moon" phase. Mercury is too close to the Earth for a month or so before and after the inferior conjunction for realiable transmission of data.


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I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed.

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Guest_AlexBlackwell_*
post Mar 23 2006, 04:48 PM
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QUOTE (angel1801 @ Mar 23 2006, 11:10 AM) *
This is because Mercury transits the Sun on November 8 (19:14 UT) to November 9 (00:15 UT). And transits can only occur at inferior conjunction ie when Mercury anf Earth line up in a straight line anf Mercury is at "New moon" phase.

Thanks, angel1801. I think I remember something like that from an Astronomy 101 lecture but my memory is hazy because I was at a frat party the night before.

QUOTE (angel1801 @ Mar 23 2006, 11:10 AM) *
Mercury is too close to the Earth for a month or so before and after the inferior conjunction for realiable transmission of data.

Comm hiatus for solar conjunctions is a feature of many interplanetary missions. And I think you meant to write "Mercury is too close to the Sun..."
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ugordan
post Mar 23 2006, 05:06 PM
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QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Mar 23 2006, 05:48 PM) *
Comm hiatus for solar conjunctions is a feature of many interplanetary missions. And I think you meant to write "Mercury is too close to the Sun..."

I'm lost. Isn't the next flyby that's not going to be taking any science a Venus flyby? If so, what's Mercury got with it?

I'm also a bit puzzled by this no-science policy. Why couldn't have they programmed the s/c to play the data back a couple of days/weeks later?


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Guest_Sunspot_*
post Mar 23 2006, 05:11 PM
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QUOTE (ugordan @ Mar 23 2006, 05:06 PM) *
I'm also a bit puzzled by this no-science policy. Why couldn't have they programmed the s/c to play the data back a couple of days/weeks later?


That's what I was thinking too......
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Posts in this topic
- paxdan   MESSENGER News Thread   Apr 20 2005, 11:22 AM
- - Buck Galaxy   QUOTE (paxdan @ Apr 20 2005, 11:22 AM)Launche...   May 29 2005, 06:19 PM
|- - Jeff7   QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ May 29 2005, 02:19 PM)QU...   May 29 2005, 08:14 PM
||- - tedstryk   Mariner 10 Photographed 45% of Mercury, or almost ...   May 29 2005, 08:33 PM
||- - MiniTES   MESSENGER = strained acronym. It's even worse ...   May 29 2005, 09:51 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ May 29 2005, 11:19 AM)I ...   May 31 2005, 01:27 AM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (JRehling @ May 31 2005, 01:27 AM)As ot...   May 31 2005, 02:12 AM
- - edstrick   Uh... doesn't Messenger have a laser altimiter...   May 31 2005, 05:02 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   I'm reminded of the darkside images taken of t...   May 31 2005, 11:19 AM
||- - JRehling   QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ May 31 2005, 04:19 AM)I...   May 31 2005, 03:43 PM
||- - Bob Shaw   Darn - I hadn't thought of that, and it's ...   May 31 2005, 04:04 PM
||- - Chmee   QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ May 31 2005, 12:04 PM)OK, w...   May 31 2005, 04:53 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (edstrick @ May 30 2005, 10:02 PM)Uh......   May 31 2005, 03:52 PM
- - RNeuhaus   Is Mercury atmosphere similar to Moon rather than ...   Jun 1 2005, 02:48 AM
- - paxdan   Earth from MESSENGER at 29.6 million km   Jun 1 2005, 08:39 AM
- - Sunspot   http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/pres...se_5_...   Jun 1 2005, 08:40 AM
- - um3k   No focusing problems on this baby!   Jun 1 2005, 05:01 PM
- - lyford   I always enjoy these far off shots of Earth. They...   Jun 1 2005, 06:30 PM
|- - paxdan   QUOTE (lyford @ Jun 1 2005, 07:30 PM)I always...   Jun 1 2005, 07:43 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   QUOTE (RNeuhaus @ Jun 1 2005, 02:48 AM)Is Mer...   Jun 1 2005, 07:49 PM
|- - Bob Shaw   Bruce: Can Messenger's instruments detect He ...   Jun 2 2005, 09:00 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ Jun 2 2005, 02:00 PM)Bruce:...   Jun 3 2005, 12:53 PM
|- - Buck Galaxy   QUOTE (JRehling @ Jun 3 2005, 12:53 PM)In pri...   Jun 4 2005, 02:46 AM
- - Phil Stooke   Buck Galaxy said: Huh? I thought the moon's r...   Jun 4 2005, 03:05 AM
- - BruceMoomaw   Specifically, it's about one part He-3 per 100...   Jun 4 2005, 05:55 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   Mining the moon for He3 would, of course, give us ...   Jun 4 2005, 05:26 PM
- - Toma B   So there will not be another image of Earth for ho...   Jun 15 2005, 04:41 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   Because Messenger is usually too close to Earth to...   Jun 16 2005, 02:56 AM
|- - gpurcell   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Jun 16 2005, 02:56 AM)Be...   Jun 16 2005, 03:34 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   "Because Messenger is usually too close to Ea...   Jun 16 2005, 02:57 AM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Jun 15 2005, 07:57 PM)...   Jun 28 2005, 12:05 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   Yes indeedy. Quite a bit (even including using Me...   Jun 17 2005, 06:54 AM
- - djellison   Galileo and NEAR both did it - producing movies of...   Jun 28 2005, 12:27 PM
|- - Toma B   They did it....BUT WHERE ARE THE IMAGES OR MOVIES?...   Jun 28 2005, 01:37 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (djellison @ Jun 28 2005, 05:27 AM)Gali...   Jun 28 2005, 04:48 PM
- - djellison   ERmmm.. NEAR - http://near.jhuapl.edu/Images/.Ani...   Jun 28 2005, 01:50 PM
|- - Bjorn Jonsson   And if you want thousands of PDS-formatted Galileo...   Jun 28 2005, 03:24 PM
- - Sunspot   http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/pres...se_8_...   Aug 2 2005, 07:45 PM
|- - dilo   waitng for the movie... The picture reported in th...   Aug 4 2005, 06:33 AM
- - Myran   Either reorientation or its in a constant slow rot...   Aug 4 2005, 01:35 PM
- - djf   Just noticed this: http://planetary.org/news/2005...   Aug 28 2005, 02:19 AM
- - deglr6328   Oh that is just spec-freakin'-tacular! So...   Aug 28 2005, 02:54 AM
- - hendric   We do have one hell of a beautiful planet. Anyon...   Aug 28 2005, 01:48 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (hendric @ Aug 28 2005, 06:48 AM)We do ...   Aug 28 2005, 04:14 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (JRehling @ Aug 28 2005, 04:14 PM)No li...   Aug 28 2005, 05:47 PM
- - hendric   Hmmm...I wonder if they have done any ridiculously...   Aug 28 2005, 08:59 PM
- - djellison   If and when the Messenger data is on the PDS - I...   Aug 28 2005, 10:17 PM
- - Stephen   The MESSENGER team has posted a quite amazing ...   Aug 29 2005, 01:42 AM
- - MizarKey   That movie is one of the most spectacular things I...   Aug 31 2005, 10:00 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   It is; it's a lovely piece of work.   Aug 31 2005, 10:02 PM
|- - dvandorn   That little movie captures the reality of what sci...   Sep 1 2005, 07:10 AM
- - djellison   Correct me if I'm wrong - but Messenger's ...   Sep 1 2005, 07:24 AM
|- - tedstryk   I was looking at the chart below. I noticed that ...   Sep 11 2005, 12:36 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   Quite a bit -- they even intend to use the laser a...   Sep 11 2005, 02:27 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Sep 11 2005, 02:27 PM)Qu...   Sep 11 2005, 05:43 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   Several years ago, Sean Solomon told me a fair amo...   Sep 11 2005, 10:59 PM
|- - um3k   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Sep 11 2005, 06:59 PM)Su...   Sep 12 2005, 02:37 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (um3k @ Sep 12 2005, 07:37 AM)Does that...   Sep 12 2005, 06:21 PM
- - um3k   I know you can get them from Earth, I meant pictur...   Sep 12 2005, 06:51 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (um3k @ Sep 12 2005, 11:51 AM)I know yo...   Sep 13 2005, 03:16 PM
|- - um3k   QUOTE (JRehling @ Sep 13 2005, 11:16 AM)You c...   Sep 13 2005, 04:36 PM
|- - odave   From the Messenger Website FAQ: QUOTE The Venus f...   Sep 13 2005, 04:50 PM
- - The Messenger   The only problem with the timeline is that at orbi...   Sep 13 2005, 04:01 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   "The only problem with the timeline is that a...   Sep 14 2005, 07:36 PM
|- - dvandorn   You don't need to be old to be ornery (though ...   Sep 14 2005, 07:45 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   Let me add to my reputation for orneriness: if you...   Sep 15 2005, 05:52 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Sep 15 2005, 06:52 AM)Le...   Sep 15 2005, 08:48 PM
- - edstrick   Harlan Ellison: "The Mouth that Walks like a...   Sep 15 2005, 08:09 AM
- - BruceMoomaw   As I noted in the "Future Venus Missions...   Nov 6 2005, 02:20 AM
- - Rakhir   Messenger Status Report : MESSENGER Team Prepares...   Nov 14 2005, 11:27 AM
|- - antoniseb   I saw that Messenger is currently closer to the Su...   Nov 30 2005, 01:48 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (Rakhir @ Nov 14 2005, 11:27 AM)Messeng...   Nov 30 2005, 03:19 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   This is the very last component of Messenger that ...   Nov 30 2005, 03:23 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Nov 30 2005, 03:23 PM)Th...   Nov 30 2005, 03:52 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (tedstryk @ Nov 30 2005, 07:52 AM)What ...   Nov 30 2005, 04:37 PM
|- - tasp   QUOTE (JRehling @ Nov 30 2005, 10:37 AM)The m...   Nov 30 2005, 06:02 PM
|- - JRehling   QUOTE (tasp @ Nov 30 2005, 10:02 AM)Has anyon...   Nov 30 2005, 07:53 PM
- - dvandorn   Well, it *may* not happen in the lifetimes of the ...   Nov 30 2005, 10:41 PM
- - tasp   I was hoping that since Messenger was launched on ...   Dec 1 2005, 02:42 AM
- - BruceMoomaw   Actually, it might be doable with a smaller booste...   Dec 1 2005, 10:22 PM
- - BruceMoomaw   http://www.space.com/astronotes/astronotes.html : ...   Dec 12 2005, 09:21 PM
|- - ljk4-1   A thought from someone on another space list: Wil...   Dec 14 2005, 07:45 PM
|- - AlexBlackwell   It might be possible during the June 2007 flyby; h...   Dec 14 2005, 08:28 PM
|- - angel1801   QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Dec 15 2005, 05:58...   Mar 23 2006, 11:10 AM
|- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (angel1801 @ Mar 23 2006, 11:10 AM)...   Mar 23 2006, 04:48 PM
|- - ugordan   QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Mar 23 2006, 05:48...   Mar 23 2006, 05:06 PM
|- - Sunspot   QUOTE (ugordan @ Mar 23 2006, 05:06 PM) I...   Mar 23 2006, 05:11 PM
|- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (ugordan @ Mar 23 2006, 05:06 PM) I...   Mar 23 2006, 05:16 PM
|- - dilo   A flyby mosaic (only 7 images)   Mar 23 2006, 09:28 PM
- - AlexBlackwell   MESSENGER Mission News February 23, 2006 http://me...   Feb 23 2006, 05:35 PM
|- - dilo   Flyby images are beautiful, thanks Alex. Starting ...   Mar 22 2006, 08:52 PM
- - AlexBlackwell   MESSENGER Passes the Billion-Mile Mark! MESSEN...   Mar 24 2006, 09:08 PM
|- - antoniseb   Messenger is now further from the Sun than the Ear...   Apr 5 2006, 08:20 PM
|- - abalone   QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Mar 25 2006, 07:08...   Apr 6 2006, 01:20 PM
- - RNeuhaus   A new update news from Messenger status: Mercury...   Jun 24 2006, 04:52 AM
- - AlexBlackwell   If this has been mentioned already, pardon the rep...   Jul 27 2006, 02:03 AM
- - AlexBlackwell   MESSENGER Mission News August 3, 2006 http://mes...   Aug 3 2006, 09:27 PM
- - AlexBlackwell   MESSENGER Mission News August 4, 2006 http://mes...   Aug 4 2006, 09:23 PM
- - AlexBlackwell   MESSENGER Tweaks Its Route to Mercury MESSENGER Mi...   Sep 16 2006, 12:36 AM
- - climber   A quick reminder : Messenger is only 13 days to Ve...   Oct 10 2006, 09:16 PM
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