On Aug. 3, 2004, NASA launched the MESSENGER spacecraft on a historic first mission to orbit the planet Mercury.
The spacecraft’s name stands for the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging mission.
It blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 6:15 a.m. Eastern Time and spent the next six and a half years making its way to Mercury’s orbit.
Because Mercury is so close to the Sun, a spacecraft traveling toward the planet speeds up as the sun’s gravity pulls it in.
Source: https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html