Launched in August 2004, the MESSENGER space probe has recently completed its main mission: one year exploration of the planet Mercury, the closest to the Sun. A surprisingly little-known planet, since MESSENGER was the first spacecraft to visit from the Mariner 10 in 1974.



Physics has actually conspired against the exploration of Mercury's powerful gravitational pull of the Sun makes that achieving the smallest planet in the solar system requires more energy and more skill that visit Mars, Jupiter and other giant planets Yet much more distant.

MESSENGER confirmed the presence of volcanic activity in the past of Mercury, and especially to discover solid evidence for the presence of a molten outer core, probably made of iron sulfide. This core would account for 85% of the diameter of the planet, which far exceeds that found on Earth. MESSENGER also helped capture more than 100,000 photos, calculate the relief of Mercury is less steep than the Moon or Mars, and determining that the bottom of the huge Caloris crater (a crater of 1 500 km in diameter) is now higher than its edges, suggesting a previously unsuspected tectonic activity.

MESSENGER will not be retiring anytime soon. An extended mission of at least one year, which aims to refine the data collected so far, is underway

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