Its scientific findings aren't Messenger's only contribution to space exploration as a whole, though. Due to Mercury's position near the sun, NASA had to develop special materials to protect the spacecraft from both heat and radiation. One of those is a ceramic cloth that regularly endured temperatures exceeding 570 degrees Fahrenheit to shield the scientific instruments on board. Scientists plan to take cues from those heat-and-radiation-resistant technologies to design equipment for future missions.

Messenger's ground team has been trying to delay the inevitable by performing orbit correction maneuvers. However, after the last maneuver is done on April 24th, it will be completely out of propellant, leaving it to crash into the planet at 8,750 miles per hour. Unfortunately, we can't witness its final moments, since it's slated to land on the planet's side facing away from Earth. So let's just silently say goodbye and thank it for all the data.

[Image credit: NASA/JHU APL/Carnegie Institution of Washington]