Explanation:

1. The question is inspired from recent Mission Mercury which is a joint mission to planet mercury by European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
2. This mission also the first Mercury Mission of the European Space Agency.
3. The previous mercury missions were:
   1. Mariner 10 – 1973, launched by NASA and provided first detailed data of Mercury, mapping 40-45% of the surface.

MESSENGER – NASA. Stands for Mercury Surface Space Environment Geochemistry and Ranging probe. First spacecraft to go into orbit around Mercury was launched in 2004.