NASA’s MESSENGER mission has come to an end
NASA's MESSENGER mission has come to an end.
After running out of propellant, the force of solar gravity caused the spacecraft to impact the surface of Mercury on 30 April.
This (first image) high-resolution mosaic of WAC images shows Mercury as it appeared to MESSENGER as the spacecraft departed the planet following the mission's first flyby of Mercury in January 2008.
The mosaic of the Caloris basin (second image) on the surface of the planet is an enhanced colour composite overlain on a monochrome mosaic.
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