Intro music.
In just seven short years, planet Mercury will have a visitor from Earth:
an advanced spacecraft called MESSENGER.
The name stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, Geochemistry and Ranging,
reflective of the mission's wide range of science goals.
MESSENGER will use an array of seven scientific instruments to explore Mercury's surface, crust, atmosphere and magnetic field.
Three spectrometers will analyze the various elements in the rocks and minerals around the planet.
A fourth spectrometer will examine Mercury's magnetosphere,
the area around the planet that is controlled by a magnetic field.
Another three instruments will map the shapes of landforms and surface features, also known as topography.
The first mission to Mercury since 1975, MESSENGER's study of the mysterious planet will answer decades of questions.
Scientists predict its discoveries might even tell us a thing or two about Earth's past.