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The Mariner program was an attempt to find
out information about the inner planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Unmanned space probes
were launched between 1962 and 1973. Ten probes were planned for the inner planets. Two
probes (Mariner 11 and 12) were renamed Voyager 1 and 2. These last two probes went to the
outer planets.
The missions’ goals were to check atmosphere,
solar wind, magnetic field, surface temperature, diameter, and composition. Pictures of
the planets were taken. Scientists used this information to map the planets and to answer
questions about the inner planets.
The Mariner program was the first program to
complete:
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A successful planet
fly-by (Mariner 2)
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A trip to Mars (
Mariner 4)
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A successful orbit of
another planet (Mariner 9)
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A trip to two planets,
Venus and Mercury (Mariner 10)
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Not all the Mariner launches were successful.
Mariner 1,3, and 8 were failures
Mariner Probes
| Mariner. |
Launch
Objective |
Date |
... |
Accomplishments |
| 1 |
Venus |
07/22/62 |
|
Launch Failure |
| 2 |
Venus |
08/26/62 |
|
Successful planet fly-by
at 21,750 miles (35,003 km) |
| 3 |
Mars |
11/05/64 |
|
Contact lost shortly after
launch |
| 4 |
Mars |
11/28/64 |
|
First successful trip to planet,
took 22 photos |
| 5 |
Venus |
06/14/67 |
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Successful fly-by with photos,
measurements |
| 6 |
Mars |
02/24/69 |
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Successful fly-by with photos,
measurements |
| 7 |
Mars |
03/27/69 |
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Successful fly-by with photos,
measurements |
| 8 |
Mars |
05/08/71 |
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Failed to enter orbit |
| 9 |
Mars |
05/30/71 |
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Successful flight with photos |
| 10 |
Mercury,
Venus |
11/03/73 |
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Successful Venus, Mercury
fly-by with photos |
The USSR also launched a series of probes to the
inner planets. Venera 7 was the first probe to make a soft landing on Venus and continue
sending data. Venera 8 did some surface analysis after its landing on Venus. Venera 11-16
also provided more information about the composition of the atmosphere, the soil content,
and planet mapping. Mars was studied using probes named Mars 1 - 7, Zond 2, and Phobos 1
and 2.
The Mariner missions were impressive flights and
helped us expand our knowledge of the inner planets.
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