Maneuver Puts Messenger On Track For 2005 Earth Flyby

INNER PLANETS

Messenger is now more than 11.5 million miles (18.5 million kilometers) from Earth, speeding through space at 62,319 miles (100,292 kilometers) per hour.

Laurel MD (SPX) Sep 28, 2004
Messenger marked its 52nd day of flight operations with a burst from its thrusters, completing a maneuver on Sept. 24 that kept it on course for next summer's Earth flyby.

Carried out mostly by Messenger's four medium (5-pound) hydrazine- fueled thrusters � with a little help from 8 of its 12 small (1- pound) thrusters � the 62-second burn corrected the last remaining trajectory errors from the spacecraft's Aug. 3 launch.

The short maneuver was a long-distance tap on the brakes, reducing Messenger's velocity by about 10 miles an hour (4.6 meters per second) relative to the Sun. Messenger is now more than 11.5 million miles (18.5 million kilometers) from Earth, speeding through space at 62,319 miles (100,292 kilometers) per hour.

At that distance radio signals reach Earth in just over a minute � meaning the burn, which started at 2 p.m. EDT, was effectively over when mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, picked up Messenger's signals through the NASA Deep Space Network tracking station near Madrid, Spain.

Messenger is currently flying with its sunshade away from the Sun, allowing it to keep its instruments and systems warm without using power for heaters.

The spacecraft is in good health and operating normally; subsystem and instrument tests resume today when the operations team turns on Messenger's instrument data processor (DPU-A) and checks its interfaces with the Magnetometer, X-Ray Spectrometer and Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer.

INNER PLANETS

Rad-hardened CPU and RAM Will Ensure The Message Gets Heard From Mercury

Farnborough UK (SPX) Sep 15, 2004
BAE Systems' radiation-hardened RAD6000 computers and solid state recorder assemblies headed for the planet Mercury August 3. The successful Delta II rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, marked the beginning of a 4.9-billion-mile, 6.5-year journey to Mercury. The spacecraft Messenger will study the planet's geologic history and overall structure.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.