Robotic spacecraft are unmanned vehicles sent into space to explore celestial bodies, perform scientific research, or gather data. They are controlled remotely from Earth and equipped with various instruments and cameras to carry out their missions. Robotic spacecraft have been used to study planets, moons, asteroids, and other objects in our solar system.
No, NASA has not sent astronauts to Mercury. The extreme temperatures and proximity to the sun make it a challenging destination for a crewed mission. However, NASA has sent robotic spacecraft like MESSENGER to study Mercury from orbit.
Yes, NASA has sent two spacecraft to Mercury: Mariner 10 in the 1970s and Messenger in the 2000s. Messenger was the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury and provided valuable information about the planet's geology, magnetic field, and thin atmosphere.
All spacecraft (from Earth) that have visited Mercury have been robotic. There were no human passengers. The chances are near zero that a stowaway microbe would have survived the long journey.
No person went on Mercury or might not ever go on Mercury because of its average temperature of 700degres Fahrenheit or around 350degres Celsius.
No, no robot has been sent to Neptune. As of now, only one robotic spacecraft, Voyager 2, has flown by Neptune in 1989.
There were two: Mariner 10 and Messenger.
"robotic"
No humans have visited Mars yet. Only robotic spacecraft, like the Mars rovers, have been sent to explore the planet.
Yes, NASA's Messenger spacecraft was the first to orbit Mercury. The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission, launched in 2018, is currently en route to Mercury for a joint investigation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The two spacecraft that have been sent to study Mercury are Mariner 10 and MESSENGER. Mariner 10 was the first to fly by Mercury in the 1970s, providing the first close-up images of the planet. MESSENGER, launched in 2004, became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, conducting extensive studies of its surface and environment from 2011 until its mission concluded in 2015.
A spacecraft without people on board is called an unmanned spacecraft or a robotic spacecraft. These types of spacecraft are operated remotely from Earth or operate autonomously.