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The gallery contains a wide variety of images, photos, animations, and movies about all aspects of the mission. New materials are added regularly as the mission progresses. For information regarding the use of MESSENGER images, see the image use policy.
View an Animation of the Orbit Correction Maneuvers that Guided MESSENGER into an 8-hour Orbit
This animation shows a sunward view of MESSENGER above Mercury’s north polar region during the two orbit correction maneuvers (OCMs) that shortened the orbit period from 11.6 hours to 8.0 hours. OCM-7 on 16 April 2012 achieved the largest possible orbit period reduction (from 11 hours, 36 minutes to 9 hours, 5 minutes) with the remaining usable oxidizer, one of two propellants that supply the higher-efficiency large thruster. The duration of the large thruster segment, shown at 14 seconds in the animation, was 29 seconds in the actual maneuver. OCM-8 on 20 April 2012 completed the transition to the 8-hour orbit with the four medium-size thrusters.
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Browse through science images from the MESSENGER mission using this searchable gallery.
Download global mosaics of Mercury's surface. Available mosaics include one created prior to MESSENGER's orbital operations, high-resolution versions that use MESSENGER's orbital images that are available in NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS), and another that shows >99.9% coverage of the planet.
Explore the surface of Mercury, investigate named craters and other features, see featured MESSENGER images, and take guided tours of the latest Mercury research in the Google Earth interface.
Visit NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) to access all of MESSENGER's publically released images and data from the mission's full suite of
scientific instruments.
Watch movies acquired by the MESSENGER mission during its planetary encounters. Also watch the many preparations involved as the MESSENGER spacecraft was readied for its journey and then launched successfully from Cape Canaveral, Florida on August 3, 2004.
Watch animations of MESSENGER's path through the inner Solar System, including views of the flybys of Earth, Venus, and Mercury, and of the spacecraft once it enters into orbit around Mercury.
Use the Flyby Visualization Tool to see simulated views of the instrument observations and actual returned images from MESSENGER's flybys of Mercury.
View artwork depicting Mercury and the MESSENGER mission. Also, read poems inspired by MESSENGER's historic journey.
Check out photos of the spacecraft as it was tested, loaded for transport, prepared for launch, and finally blasted off, on its way to the inner Solar System and Mercury orbit.
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