Messenger spacecraft enters orbit around Mercury
Thursday, March 17, 2011 - 22:40
in Astronomy & Space
Mission engineers back home cheer the historic encounter. Messenger will take high-resolution images of the planet. Scientists hope for surprises.With a 30-minute blast from its main rocket engine, NASA's Messenger spacecraft slipped into orbit around Mercury on Thursday evening, becoming the first Earth vehicle to circle the closest planet to the sun.