The probe “Messenger” crashed into the surface of Mercury – BBC Russian

• 30 April 2015

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The American space probe “Messenger “who spent four years in orbit around Mercury, and more than a decade in space, down to the surface of Mercury, the press service of NASA.

The operation went according to plan. The probe crashed into the planet’s surface at a speed of 14,000 kilometers per hour, resulting in the Mercury formed a new crater the size of a tennis court.

According to the report, NASA, in the center of the flight control another 20 minutes fixed signals coming from the unit, but it was due to too great a distance from the Earth to Mercury.

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In 2011, the “Messenger” went into orbit around Mercury, where he was to stay, according to the plans of NASA, during the year. His last fuel was spent on translation maneuver into an elliptical orbit on April 24.