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
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- 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.
- Destination
- First spacecraft to orbit another planet; Mars orbit initially at approximately 1,398 x 17,916 km, later refined to approximately 1,394 x 17,144 km (64.3°–64.34° inclination), mapping 85% of the surface
- 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.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 1971-05-30
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mariner-9/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 18, 2026 at 11:38:44 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 21, 2026 at 15:33:30 UTC
- Image
- Download
Other
- Affiliations
- Search Name
- Mariner 9 Mariner Mars '71 Mariner-I 1971-051A
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles