Instrument

Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA)

MESSENGER's laser altimeter, which measured the topography of Mercury's northern hemisphere and helped confirm water ice in its permanently shadowed polar craters.

Laser Altimeter (Lidar)

Flown on

MESSENGER

Knowledge connections

Member of groupLaser Altimeter (Lidar)
Instrument onMESSENGER

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.