Abstract
Nearly three decades after the Mariner 10 spacecraft’s third and final targeted Mercury flyby, the 3 August 2004 launch of the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft began a new phase of exploration of the closest planet to our Sun. In order to ensure that the spacecraft had sufficient time for pre-launch testing, the NASA Discovery Program mission to orbit Mercury experienced launch delays that required utilization of the most complex of three possible mission profiles in 2004. During the 7.6-year mission, the spacecraft’s trajectory will include six planetary flybys (including three of Mercury between January 2008 and September 2009), dozens of trajectory-correction maneuvers (TCMs), and a year in orbit around Mercury. Members of the mission design and navigation teams optimize the spacecraft’s trajectory, specify TCM requirements, and predict and reconstruct the spacecraft’s orbit. These primary mission design and navigation responsibilities are closely coordinated with spacecraft design limitations, operational constraints, availability of ground-based tracking stations, and science objectives. A few days after the spacecraft enters Mercury orbit in mid-March 2011, the orbit will have an 80° inclination relative to Mercury’s equator, a 200-km minimum altitude over 60°N latitude, and a 12-hour period. In order to accommodate science goals that require long durations during Mercury orbit without trajectory adjustments, pairs of orbit-correction maneuvers are scheduled every 88 days (once per Mercury year).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
B.J. Anderson et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
J.D. Anderson, G. Colombo, P.B. Esposito, E.L. Lau, G.B. Trager, Icarus 71, 337–349 (1987)
G.B. Andrews et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
R.D. Bourke, J.G. Beerer, Astronaut. Aeronaut. 9, 52–59 (1971)
J.F. Cavanaugh et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
E.J. Christensen et al., J. Guid. Control 2, 179–183 (1979)
M.I. Cruz, G.J. Bell, Acta Astronaut. 35(Suppl.), 427–433 (1995)
R.L. Dowling, W.J. Kosmann, M.A. Minovitch, R.W. Ridenoure, Am. Astronaut. Soc. Hist. Ser., Hist. Rocket. Astronaut. 20, 27–103 (1997)
J.A. Dunne, E. Burgess, The Voyage of Mariner-10, SP-424 (NASA, 1978), 222 pp.
C.J. Ercol, A.G. Santo, Dermination of optimum thermal phase angles at Mercury perihelion for an orbiting spacecraft. 29th International Conference on Environmental Systems, Society of Automotive Engineers, Tech. Paper Ser., 1999-01-21123, Denver, CO, 1999, 10 pp.
A.L. Friedlander, H. Feingold, Mercury orbiter transport study. Report No. SAI 1-120-580-T6, Science Applications, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, 1977, 85 pp.
J.O. Goldsten et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
R. Grard, G. Scoon, M. Coradini, Eur. Space Agency J. 18, 197–205 (1994)
S.E. Hawkins III et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
G.R. Hollenbeck, D.G. Roos, P.S. Lewis, Study of ballistic mode Mercury orbiter missions. Report NASA CR-2298, Martin Marietta Corporation, Denver, CO, 1973, 104 pp.
Y. Langevin, Acta Astronaut. 47, 443–452 (2000)
J.C. Leary et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
J.V. McAdams, J.L. Horsewood, C.L. Yen, Discovery-class Mercury orbiter trajectory design for the 2005 launch opportunity. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics/American Astronautical Society Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit, paper AIAA-98-4283, Boston, MA, 1998, 7 pp.
J.V. McAdams, R.F. Farquhar, C.L. Yen, Adv. Astronaut. Sci. 109, 2189–2204 (2002)
J.V. McAdams, D.W. Dunham, R.W. Farquhar, A.H. Taylor, B.G. Williams, Adv. Astronaut. Sci. 120, 1185–1204 (2005)
W.E. McClintock, M.R. Lankton, Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
J.K. Miller et al., Icarus 155, 3–17 (2002)
M. Minovitch, The determination and characteristics of ballistic interplanetary trajectories under the influence of multiple planetary attractions. JPL Technical Report 32-464, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, 1963, 40 pp.
B.C. Murray, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 2342–2344 (1975a)
B.C. Murray, Sci. Am. 233(3), 58–68 (1975b)
B. Murray, Journey into Space: The First Thirty Years of Space Exploration (Norton, New York, 1989), 382 pp.
R.M. Nelson, L.J. Horn, J.R. Weiss, W.D. Smythe, Acta Astronaut. 35(Suppl.), 387–395 (1995)
C.E. Schlemm II et al., Space Sci. Rev. (2007, this issue)
S.C. Solomon et al., Planet. Space Sci. 49, 1445–1465 (2001)
F.M. Sturms, E. Cutting, J. Spacecr. Rockets 3, 624–631 (1966)
B.G. Williams, N.A. Mottinger, N.B. Panagiotacopulos, Icarus 56, 578–589 (1983)
H. Yamakawa, H. Saito, J. Kawaguchi, Y. Kobayashi, H. Hayakawa, T. Mukai, Acta Astronaut. 45, 187–195 (2000)
C.L. Yen, J. Astronaut. Sci. 37, 417–432 (1989)
C.L. Yen, Adv. Astronaut. Sci. 108, 799–806 (2001)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McAdams, J.V., Farquhar, R.W., Taylor, A.H. et al. MESSENGER Mission Design and Navigation. Space Sci Rev 131, 219–246 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-007-9162-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-007-9162-x