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  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

Great News About Messenger

For Immediate Release
March 17, 2011

Contact
Mat Kaplan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1-626-793-5100

The Planetary Society has issued the following statements regarding MESSENGER's successful orbital insertion at Mercury:

"MESSENGER is orbiting Mercury!" said Bill Nye, Executive Director of the Planetary Society. "It's rocket science at its best. Before this success, Mercury was the only inner planet that had never been orbited by a spacecraft."

"MESSENGER's going into orbit is a momentous accomplishment in humanity's quest to explore the solar system," said Bruce Betts, the Planetary Society's Director of Projects. "The mission has already helped us complete humanity's initial reconnaissance of the inner solar system, and provided ground breaking science to help us understand fascinating and exotic Mercury."

About The Planetary Society

The Planetary Society is the world's largest and most influential space interest organization. Founded in 1980 by astronomer Carl Sagan with Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is led today by CEO Jenn Vaughn and championed by Chief Ambassador Bill Nye. Members and donors fund programs in science and technology, public outreach, and advocacy. This work advances the exploration of space, the search for life beyond Earth, and the defense of our planet from dangerous asteroids and comets. Learn more at planetary.org.

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