NASA Spacecraft Reveals New Details of Planet Mercury

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Sep 27, 2011, 04:00 ET

Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EDT on Sept. 29

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 29, to discuss new data and images from the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury.

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NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft conducted fifteen laps through the inner solar system for more than six years before achieving the historic orbit insertion on March 18.

Briefing participants are:

Ed Graykzeck, MESSENGER program manager, NASA Headquarters, Washington
James Head, III, professor of geological sciences, Brown University
David Blewett, MESSENGER participating scientist and staff scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md.
Patrick Peplowski, staff scientist, APL
Thomas Zurbuchen, professor of space science and aerospace engineering, University of Michigan

To participate in the teleconference, reporters must contact Dwayne Brown at [email protected] or 202-358-1726, by noon on Sept. 29 for dial-in instructions.

Audio of the teleconference will be streamed live at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

Related images and supporting briefing information will be available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/messenger

SOURCE NASA