MESSENGER

The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging mission (Messenger) will be the first mission to visit Mercury since Mariner 10 flew by the planet in 1974 and 1975. Images from Mariner only covered half of Mercury's surface, but MESSENGER will map the entire planet and study its shape, interior and magenetic field. Scheduled to launch in 2004, the spacecraft will first encounter Mercury in 2008 and enter orbit around the planet in September 2009. One of the goals of the mission is to look for water ice in polar craters.