07. Could astronauts or space probes ever go to Mercury? (A K2S Question)

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Only one robotic space probe has ever visited Mercury—the NASA Mariner 10 mission in 1974-1975. A second mission, the MESSENGER mission (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) was launched in 2004 and will enter orbit around Mercury in 2011. Because of the heavy gravity of the Sun and how fast Mercury moves, it actually takes more rocket fuel to go to Mercury than it does to leave the solar system! Astronauts may be able to go to Mercury in the future, but such a trip will pose significant technical and physical challenges.

Answer provided by Laura Peckyno & Robert Peckyno


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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