ИСТИНА

The Messenger spacecraft launching was held on August 3, 2004. During 6.5 years the craft has overcome more than 7.8 billion km, made 15 revolutions around the Sun, two revolutions around Venus and performed three approaches to Mercury. The orbit of the Messenger spacecraft is highly-elliptical; the height of the spacecraft above the surface at the lowest point is 200 km and more than 15.193 km at its highest point. At the outset of the orbital phase of the mission, the plane of the spacecraft’s orbit is inclined 82.5° to Mercury’s equator, and the lowest point in the orbit is reached at the latitude of 60° North. The results of the first spacecraft’s approach to Mercury on January 14, 2008 were of a great success; sizes of Mercury’s visible surface were much more than the ones of the territory, taken by the Mariner – 10 spacecraft (1974-1975) and observed from the Earth. The paper reveals results of Mercury South pole surface relief research by photometry methods. The photometry method searches out the intensity of reflectivity of planet’s surface and provides studying of ground fine texture [5, 10]. Main materials of the research are photographic images of Mercury surface transferred by “Messenger” interplanetary station during its passing near Mercury. For Mercury surface relief structure evaluation the images of Mercury Southern hemisphere have been used. The photographic images of Mercury surface transferred by “Messenger” have high spatial resolution of 2 km/pixel, while the accuracy of Southern hemisphere altitudes evaluation makes at average 1,5 m.