Mariner 9 Became the First Spacecraft to Orbit Mars on November 13, 1971
NASA's Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, beginning a mission that mapped about 85% of the planet.
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Mariner 9 entered Mars orbit on November 13, 1971, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit the planet. The NASA spacecraft spent nearly a year there, collecting images and measurements of Mars.
Key details
- Mariner 9 mapped approximately 85% of Mars.
- Its four primary instruments included an imaging camera system, an ultraviolet spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer, and an infrared radiometer.
- Its observations captured features including Olympus Mons and Valles Marineris.
- NASA ended the mission in October 1972.
Mariner 9 returned 7,329 images of Mars and at least 80 images of its moons, Phobos and Deimos.
Why it matters
The mission gave scientists a broad orbital survey of Mars and detailed views of its surface. Images of Phobos and Deimos also extended the mission’s observations to the planet’s two moons.
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