Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Spacecraft Purpose 1. Cassini-Huygens : Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth 2. Messenger : Mapping and investigating the Mercury 3. Voyager 1 and 2 : Exploring the outer solar system Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Let's examine the purpose of each spacecraft:

Cassini-Huygens: Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth: This statement is incorrect. The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint project of NASA, ESA, and ASI dedicated to studying Saturn and its moon Titan. Cassini was the orbiter for Saturn, and Huygens was a lander that descended onto Titan. It was not designed for Venus. Messenger: Mapping and investigating the Mercury: This statement is correct. MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) was a NASA robotic spacecraft designed to orbit and study the planet Mercury, providing comprehensive data on its surface, exosphere, and magnetic field. Voyager 1 and 2: Exploring the outer solar system: This statement is correct. The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, launched by NASA in 1977, were designed to explore the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune for Voyager 2; Jupiter and Saturn for Voyager 1) and have since continued their mission into interstellar space. Therefore, pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched.