EUROPE: NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft completed it mission at Mercury and impacted the surface around 3:30pm EDT. MESSENGER was originally launched in 2004, arriving at Mercury in 2011 after taking a winding path through the inner Solar System. The spacecraft achieved its primary science objectives in March of 2012, but its mission was subsequently extended twice as the spacecraft remained functional and scientists couldn’t help but want to know more about the closest rock to the Sun.
After more than 1500 days and 4000 orbits at Mercury, MESSENGER no longer had any fuel left to fight the Sun’s gravitational pull or its solar radiation pressure. Scientists kept taking data almost until the bitter end when the spacecraft slammed into the surface at over 8,500 mph, creating a new crater likely more than 50 feet across.
Tesla driverless system to use updated radar technology
WASHINGTON: Electric carmaker Tesla announced Sunday it was upgrading its Autopilot software to use more advanced radar technology. In a...
