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Mariner 10, launched on November 3, 1973, studied Mercury and Venus. After passing Venus in February, 1974, it did an extremely close fly-by of Mercury on March 29, 1974, passing within 437 miles (703 km) of the surface. It made two more flyby passes in September, 1974 and March, 1975. The third flyby was even closer than the first one, coming within 203 miles (327 km) of Mercury.
Unfortunately, the limited solar orbit of the probe meant that each of the three passes observed the same hemisphere of Mercury illuminated by the Sun. Only about 45% of the surface was photographically mapped.
The geography of Mercury will be extensively detailed by the new MESSENGER spacecraft, which has already flown by Mercury three times since its launch in 2004, and will begin orbiting the planet on March 18, 2011.
What else can I help you with?
Which of the Mariner Series of space probes was the first to visit venus?
Mariner 2
What did the mariner rockets or space mission do?
The mariner program was a series of launches by NASA in the 60's and 70's which took space probes to mercury, Venus and mars. These bought detailed pictures of the inner planets back to earth for the first time.
Mercury was first visited by a spacecraft that was the tenth in the series called?
The first spacecraft to visit Mercury was Mariner 10, part of the Mariner program by NASA. It launched in 1973 and made three flybys of Mercury in 1974 and 1975, capturing close-up images of the planet.
Who developed the Venera series probes?
The Venera series probes were developed by scientists and engineers in the Soviet Union. The name comes from the Russian word for Venus, which was to be their destination.
What name was shared by the first US satellites to go by the planets Venus Mars and Mercury?
I believe it was part of the Mariner series of satellites
Which of the mariner series of space probes was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet?
Mariner 9
Which of the Mariner Series of space probes was the first to visit venus?
Mariner 2
What series of space probes that photographed Mars?
Mariner
Which of the mariner series of space probes was the first spacecraft to visit mars?
Mariner 4 was the first ship to visit Mars.
What probe was sent to take pictures of Venus?
There have been many space probes to Venus. Here are a few important ones: * Mariner 10 (NASA) * The Venera series of probes (Roscosmos) * Magellan (NASA) * Venus Express (ESA) (check related link)
Cost of the NASA mariner program?
The Mariner program, run by NASA, consisted of a series of robotic space probes sent to explore Mars, Venus, and Mercury from the 1960s to the 1970s. The overall cost of the Mariner program was around $554 million in 1971, which is approximately $3.7 billion in today's dollars when adjusted for inflation.
What did the mariner rockets or space mission do?
The mariner program was a series of launches by NASA in the 60's and 70's which took space probes to mercury, Venus and mars. These bought detailed pictures of the inner planets back to earth for the first time.
Mercury was first visited by a spacecraft that was the tenth in the series called?
The first spacecraft to visit Mercury was Mariner 10, part of the Mariner program by NASA. It launched in 1973 and made three flybys of Mercury in 1974 and 1975, capturing close-up images of the planet.
Who developed the Venera series probes?
The Venera series probes were developed by scientists and engineers in the Soviet Union. The name comes from the Russian word for Venus, which was to be their destination.
What name was shared by the first US satellites to go by the planets Venus Mars and Mercury?
I believe it was part of the Mariner series of satellites
6 What is the name of the series of space probes sent to Venus by the Soviet Union?
The series of space probes sent to Venus by the Soviet Union is called the Venera program.
Which is the man made spacecraft far off Earth?
There have been a series of robotic probes to every planet in the solar system, and the two Voyager probes are approaching (or perhaps have just passed, we're not yet sure) the "edge" of our solar system. But no human has ever been further away than the Moon.
