Mariner 10 Flew by Mercury for the First Time in 1974

 Events
Mar 292024
 

Mariner 10

Mariner 10 flew by Mercury for the first time in 1974. Launched November 3, 1973, it first flew by Venus on February 5, 1974. After it flew by Mercury, it orbited the sun and came close to Mercury again on September 21, 1974. A third encounter happened on March 16, 1975. Data from Mariner 10 included 2,800 photographs of Mercury as well as information on a helium atmosphere and an iron-rich core. Mariner 10 ran out of fuel and stopped transmitting data on March 24, 1975. Scientists believe that it continues to orbit the sun. Children could learn more at: Mariner 10.

BepiColombo Was Launched in 2018

 Events
Oct 202024
 

BepiColombo was launched in 2018. The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency worked together to launch the space explorer. BepiColombo will travel for seven years to reach Mercury. In December 2025, it will release two probes, Bepi and Mio, to research the land formation and magnetic field of the planet. Children can visit a very interesting website, including a count-up, at: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/bepicolombo/in-depth/.