Mariner 10
1973 American robotic space probe; flew by Venus and Mercury / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on 3 November 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was the first spacecraft to perform flybys of multiple planets.[3]
Mission type | Planetary exploration |
---|---|
Operator | NASA / JPL |
COSPAR ID | 1973-085A[1] |
SATCAT no. | 06919[1] |
Mission duration | 1 year, 4 months, 21 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
Launch mass | 502.9 kilograms (1,109 lb)[2] |
Power | 820 watts (at Venus encounter) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 3 November 1973, 05:45:00 (1973-11-03UTC05:45Z) UTC |
Rocket | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1A |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-36B |
End of mission | |
Disposal | Decommissioned |
Deactivated | 24 March 1975 (1975-03-25) 12:21 UTC |
Flyby of Venus | |
Closest approach | 5 February 1974 |
Distance | 5,768 kilometers (3,584 mi) |
Flyby of Mercury | |
Closest approach | 29 March 1974 |
Distance | 704 kilometers (437 mi) |
Flyby of Mercury | |
Closest approach | 21 September 1974 |
Distance | 48,069 kilometers (29,869 mi) |
Flyby of Mercury | |
Closest approach | 16 March 1975 |
Distance | 327 kilometers (203 mi) |
Mariner 10 was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program. (Mariner 11 and Mariner 12 were allocated to the Voyager program and redesignated Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.)
The mission objectives were to measure Mercury's environment, atmosphere, surface, and body characteristics and to make similar investigations of Venus. Secondary objectives were to perform experiments in the interplanetary medium and to obtain experience with a dual-planet gravity assist mission. Mariner 10's science team was led by Bruce C. Murray at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[4]