Editing MESSENGER (section)

===Objectives===
The ''MESSENGER'' mission was designed to study the characteristics and environment of Mercury from orbit. The scientific objectives of the mission were:<ref name='Objectives1'>{{cite web | url = https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2004-030A | title = MESSENGER – Mission description | access-date = July 8, 2013 | publisher = NASA}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://discovery.nasa.gov/messenger.cfml | title = Discovery Program: MESSENGER | access-date = July 8, 2013 | publisher = NASA | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130603184332/http://discovery.nasa.gov/messenger.cfml | archive-date = June 3, 2013 }}</ref>
* to characterize the chemical composition of Mercury's surface.
* to study the planet's geologic history.
* to elucidate the nature of the global magnetic field ([[magnetosphere]]). 
* to determine the size and state of the [[Planetary core|core]].
* to determine the volatile inventory at the poles.
* to study the nature of Mercury's [[exosphere]].