Mariner 8 Mariner-71H Mars-orbiter spacecraft family
Mariner 8 was NASA’s first 1971 Mars-orbiter spacecraft, designed to study Martian atmosphere and surface for at least 90 days. An Atlas Centaur flight-control malfunction caused loss of pitch control shortly after launch, and the stack reentered Earth’s atmosphere north of Puerto Rico.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Mariner 8Mariner-HMariner-71HMariner 1971 H
- Family Name
- Mariner 8
- Full Name
- Mariner 8 Mariner-71H Mars-orbiter spacecraft family
- Roles
- interplanetary_probeorbiterresearchtechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Mariner 8 was NASA’s first 1971 Mars-orbiter spacecraft, designed to study Martian atmosphere and surface for at least 90 days. An Atlas Centaur flight-control malfunction caused loss of pitch control shortly after launch, and the stack reentered Earth’s atmosphere north of Puerto Rico.
- First Flight Year
- 1,971
- Last Flight Year
- 1,971
- Operator
- Spacecraft Specs
- Launch Mass
- …
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mariner-8/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 07:44:18 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 14, 2026 at 14:58:03 UTC