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Mariner 9

Mariner 9 was NASA's first Mars orbiter and the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It mapped most of the Martian surface, documented volcanoes and the canyon system later named Valles Marineris, and imaged both Martian moons.

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Identity

Aliases
Mariner Mars '71Mariner-I1971-051A
Name
Mariner 9
Slug
mariner-9
Status
completed

Details

Astronauts
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Description
Mariner 9 was NASA's first Mars orbiter and the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It mapped most of the Martian surface, documented volcanoes and the canyon system later named Valles Marineris, and imaged both Martian moons.
End Date
1972-10-27
Launch Site
Outcome
Successful. Mariner 9 entered Mars orbit on November 14, 1971, returned 7,329 images, and operated until October 27, 1972.
Program
Mariner
Start Date
1971-05-30
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Creation Time
July 18, 2026 at 11:38:44 UTC
Updated Time
July 18, 2026 at 11:38:44 UTC

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