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Mariner 9

Mariner 9, designated Mariner I, launched on May 30, 1971 and entered Mars orbit that November, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It mapped the Martian surface, observed the planet through a global dust storm, and returned the first close views of Phobos and Deimos before its final transmission on October 27, 1972.

Mariner 9
NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology / Goddard Space Flight Center · NASA-hosted asset; the exact NASA Science Mariner 9 spacecraft record identifies this matching Mariner 9 spacecraft photograph and credits NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. NASA insignia and identifiers, third-party material, identifiable-person rights, and commercial, promotional, merchandise, or other protected-rights uses may require separate clearance; verify before such use. · Source

Identity

Aliases
Mariner IMariner Mars '71
Name
Mariner 9
Status
retired

Details

Description
Mariner 9, designated Mariner I, launched on May 30, 1971 and entered Mars orbit that November, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It mapped the Martian surface, observed the planet through a global dust storm, and returned the first close views of Phobos and Deimos before its final transmission on October 27, 1972.
First Flight Date
1971-05-30
Operator
Vehicle Family

Links

Official Url
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mariner-9/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 29, 2026 at 08:15:06 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 08:15:06 UTC
Image
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Other

Last Flight Date
1971-05-30
Vehicle Code
Mariner I
Mariner 9 - AeroVia