( CNN ) NASA says its Messenger space probe crashed into Mercury on Thursday after running out of fuel , ending a nearly 11-year journey that provided valuable data and thousands of photos . Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory ( APL ) in Laurel , Maryland , confirmed the probe slammed into the surface of Mercury , as anticipated , at 3:26 p.m. EDT , NASA told CNN in an email . NASA earlier said the probe was expected to hit the surface at 8,750 miles per hour and to create an impact crater 52 feet ( 16 meters ) in diameter . The crash was n't visible from Earth because it occurred on the far side of Mercury . Messenger ( an acronym for MErcury Surface , Space ENvironment , GEochemistry , and Ranging ) was launched in 2004 and traveled more than 6½ years before it started circling Mercury on March 18 , 2011 . It was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet closest to the sun . It traveled about 5 billion miles -- a journey that included 15 trips around the sun . Spacecraft to make death dive into Mercury . The spacecraft was healthy when it crashed , but was out of fuel . When scientists determined there was no way to save it , they held a briefing this month to celebrate the mission 's success . `` For the first time in history we now have real knowledge about the planet Mercury that shows it to be a fascinating world as part of our diverse solar system , '' said John Grunsfeld , associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington . One of the mission 's big findings : It sent back data indicating that ice in Mercury 's shadowed polar regions , if spread over an area the size of Washington , would be more than two miles thick , NASA said . As the end neared , the probe sent back some final tweets thanking mission managers and counting down its final orbits . The Messenger mission is over , but scientists say they 'll be busy for years studying data from the probe . And while the space probe wo n't be sending back anymore images , you can see Mercury with your own eyes . It 's visible in the night sky just before dusk until about the end of May .
NASA 's Messenger probe smashes into Mercury , ending mission . Space probe hit the planet 's surface at 8,750 mph .