Mariner 9

Mariner 9

The Mariner 9 spacecraft
Mission type	Mars orbiter
Operator	NASA / JPL
COSPAR ID	1971-051A
SATCAT no.	5261
Mission duration	1 year, 4 months, 27 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Launch mass	997.9 kilograms (2,200 lb)
Dry mass	558.8 kilograms (1,232 lb)
Power	500 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	May 30, 1971, 22:23:04 (1971-05-30UTC22:23:04Z) UTC
Rocket	Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-36B
End of mission
Disposal	Decommissioned
Deactivated	October 27, 1972 (1972-10-28)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Areocentric
Periareion	1,650 kilometres (1,030 mi)
Apoareion	16,860 kilometres (10,480 mi)
Inclination	64.4°
Period	719.47 minutes
Mars orbiter
Orbital insertion	November 14, 1971, 00:42:00 UTC

Mariner 9 was a NASA spacecraft. It was the ninth spacecraft in the Mariner programme. It was sent to study and orbit the planet Mars. It was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. Mariner 9 was launched on May 30, 1971 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.^[1] Mariner 9 reached Mars on November 13, 1971, after a ~170 day flight. The spacecraft was sent to map 70 % of the surface of Mars and to study the temperature changes of the Martian atmosphere and surface. When it arrived, a dust storm hid the surface of Mars. After a few months the dust settled and Mariner 9 discovered the Valles Marineris.

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