Messenger has been orbiting Mercury for the past four years. The mission controller affirmed that NASA’s spacecraft’s pioneering mission to Mercury has finally ended, as the probe hit into planet at more than 8,750 mph.

The incident made a new crater on Mercury’s surface. Messenger’s end was planned after it ran out of fuel. Scientists affirmed that the mission has helped them understand a lot of about Mercury’s solar system.

NASA launched Messenger or MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging on August 3, 2004. After a seven-year space odyssey, the probe entered into orbit on March 8, 2011. The spacecraft was the first to orbit Mercury.

In the 1970s, Mariner 10 paid three passing visits to the planets and even sent back images, but majority of left remained unmapped. But, Messenger has sent a number of images and now, the surface of Mercury could be seen on Google earth.

Originally, the spacecraft had to study Mercury for one year only, but NASA extended the mission till the time it can be. The probe’s principal investigator, Sean Solomon, director of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, was of the view, “Today we bid a fond farewell to one of the most resilient and accomplished spacecraft ever to have explored our neighboring planets”.

He was of the view that the probe has set a record of planetary fly-bys. It had spent more than four years in orbit of the planet that is closest to the sun and was able to manage the heat and extreme doses of radiation.

Messenger was able to know the planet’s surface composition. It is also unveiled its geological history and unveiled its internal magnetic field and also provided vital information of Mercury’s unusual internal structure.