Mercury (Photo : Reuters)
In 2004, the NASA Messenger spacecraft was launched in Cape Canaveral and had become the first craft to make its orbit around Mercury in 2011. It will now crash in to the planet due to fuel shortage. Crash is expected to happen on April 30 at a speed of 8,700 miles per hour.
The NASA scientists say that Messenger will be creating a new crater on the surface of Mercury at some point or the other according to USA Today. They further said that no one should be sad about this occurrence, but rather be happy that a very successful mission was completed by NASA.
The full form of Messenger is MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging.
The data which was sent back from messenger to Earth has been used to enhance the knowledge and conception about the tiny planet of Mercury more than ever, according to Humaura.
It confirmed the presence of ice on the surface of mercury, which in turn are covered with a dark and unknown substance which might be of an organic origin.
Messenger has already run out of all its fuel, but the engineers back at NASA have come up with pretty intelligent ways to extend its orbit around Mercury. Tricks like boosting the engine of the craft with helium which had a pressurized propellant tank has made Messenger to move about the planet without any actual fuel inside its tanks.
One last orbit is planned to take place on April 24, which will be used to collect data for the last 15 minutes of the craft's life, before it crashes with full speed in to the tiny red planet.
