Exploration of Mercury and the MESSENGER Mission

The video discusses the history of space missions to planets, focusing on the challenges of visiting Mercury. It highlights the MESSENGER mission, which overcame these challenges to orbit Mercury and gather extensive data. The video concludes with a look at future missions, such as the ESA-JAXA Bepi-Colombo mission.

Which planet was the first to be visited by a spacecraft?

• Mars

• Venus

• Mercury

• Jupiter

Why was Mercury not visited for 30 years after the first mission?

• It was considered uninteresting

• It was too far from Earth

• It was too challenging to reach

• It was already fully mapped

What was the main challenge in sending a probe to Mercury?

• High cost

• Sun's gravitational pull

• Insufficient technology

• Lack of interest

Who proposed the innovative route for the MESSENGER mission?

• Alex McColgan

• NASA

• ESA

• Chen-Wan Yen

How many times did the MESSENGER probe fly past Mercury before entering its orbit?

• Once

• Twice

• Three times

• Four times

What technique did MESSENGER use to reduce its acceleration towards the Sun?

• Using solar panels as sails

• Increasing its speed

• Using more fuel

• Changing its orbit

What issue did MESSENGER face during its third flyby of Mercury?

• Running out of fuel

• Collision with an asteroid

• Entering safe mode

• Loss of communication

How long did MESSENGER spend in orbit around Mercury?

• 1 year

• 2 years

• 3 years

• 4 years

What was one of the major achievements of the MESSENGER mission?

• Mapping 50% of Mercury's surface

• Discovering new planets

• Taking over 200,000 photographs

• Finding water on Mercury

What is the name of the upcoming mission to Mercury?

• Juno

• Venus Express

• Bepi-Colombo

• MESSENGER 2