The MESSENGER interplanetary station will be smashed on the surface of Mercury at a speed of more than 14 thousand km / h
NASA will complete the Mercury research program launched in 2004 using the MESSENGER automatic interplanetary station after April 30. The station, which runs out of fuel, will crash into the surface at a speed of 8,750 miles per hour, reports NASA . To see the event on the air will not work - it will happen on the side of the planet invisible from Earth.
MESSENGER stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging. The station was launched on August 3, 2004 from Cape Canaveral, and in March 2011 it entered the orbit of Mercury. Initially, AMC’s work was planned to be completed in March 2012, but then the mission was extended and included in it a study of the impact of an increase in solar activity on Mercury during the start of a new solar cycle.
The device with a carbon fiber case at the start weighed 1,100 kilograms, of which 600 kg was fuel. The station is equipped with solar panels capable of producing 2 kW, which is enough for it in abundance. Due to the proximity of Mercury to the Sun, developers had to take into account high temperatures: 67% of the surface of the panels are mirrors that prevent the panels from overheating, and the case is wrapped in multi-layer thermal insulation and built heat pipes to remove heat.
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The device uses fuel (hydrazine) and an oxidizer (nitrogen tetraoxide) for movement, they are stored in titanium tanks. The supply of hydrazine and tetraoxide nitrogen provides helium. MESSENGER is equipped with a main engine for large flights and 16 small single-component liquid-propellant rocket engines for maneuvering.
The beginning of the mission, 2004.
In order to get into the orbit of Mercury, the spacecraft needs to extinguish a significant part of the orbital velocity of the Earth, for this it is necessary to provide a number of maneuvers. Because the achievement of the orbit of this planet took several years. MESSENGER flew near Mercury on January 14 and October 6, 2008, then September 30, 2009, and only on March 18, 2011 entered its orbit. Below is the first photograph of Mercury transmitted by the apparatus to Earth.
During its operation, the device traveled more than 8 billion miles, completed 29 revolutions around the Sun, and circled over the orbit of Mercury more than 3000 times. MESSENGER sent more than 255 thousand photos to Earth.
The last maneuver of the station, which will postpone the date of a rapid (3.91 km per second) fall on the surface of Mercury - is scheduled for Friday, April 24. After this maneuver, the apparatus will end all helium and it will not be able to withstand the force of gravity.
NASA infographics from August 1, 2014.
MESSENGER stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging. The station was launched on August 3, 2004 from Cape Canaveral, and in March 2011 it entered the orbit of Mercury. Initially, AMC’s work was planned to be completed in March 2012, but then the mission was extended and included in it a study of the impact of an increase in solar activity on Mercury during the start of a new solar cycle.
The device with a carbon fiber case at the start weighed 1,100 kilograms, of which 600 kg was fuel. The station is equipped with solar panels capable of producing 2 kW, which is enough for it in abundance. Due to the proximity of Mercury to the Sun, developers had to take into account high temperatures: 67% of the surface of the panels are mirrors that prevent the panels from overheating, and the case is wrapped in multi-layer thermal insulation and built heat pipes to remove heat.
')
The device uses fuel (hydrazine) and an oxidizer (nitrogen tetraoxide) for movement, they are stored in titanium tanks. The supply of hydrazine and tetraoxide nitrogen provides helium. MESSENGER is equipped with a main engine for large flights and 16 small single-component liquid-propellant rocket engines for maneuvering.
The beginning of the mission, 2004.
In order to get into the orbit of Mercury, the spacecraft needs to extinguish a significant part of the orbital velocity of the Earth, for this it is necessary to provide a number of maneuvers. Because the achievement of the orbit of this planet took several years. MESSENGER flew near Mercury on January 14 and October 6, 2008, then September 30, 2009, and only on March 18, 2011 entered its orbit. Below is the first photograph of Mercury transmitted by the apparatus to Earth.
During its operation, the device traveled more than 8 billion miles, completed 29 revolutions around the Sun, and circled over the orbit of Mercury more than 3000 times. MESSENGER sent more than 255 thousand photos to Earth.
The last maneuver of the station, which will postpone the date of a rapid (3.91 km per second) fall on the surface of Mercury - is scheduled for Friday, April 24. After this maneuver, the apparatus will end all helium and it will not be able to withstand the force of gravity.
NASA infographics from August 1, 2014.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/366841/
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