The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission will advance understanding of Mercury and his history. MESSENGER will be the first spacecraft to achieve a stationary orbit around Mercury. It is also only the second mission, since Mariner 10 in 1974-75, to visit Mercury. To get into orbit around Mercury, it has followed a complex path through the inner solar system. Its journey includes one flyby of Earth, two past Venus, and three gravity-assist flybys of Mercury. MESSENGER launched in August 2004, and began orbiting Mercury in March 2011.