52-419: Mariner 4 (together with Mariner 3 known as Mariner-Mars 1964 ) was the fourth in a series of spacecraft intended for planetary exploration in a flyby mode. It was designed to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth . Launched on November 28, 1964, Mariner 4 performed the first successful flyby of the planet Mars , returning the first close-up pictures of
104-487: A Moon -like cratered terrain, which scientists did not expect, although amateur astronomer Donald Cyr had predicted craters. Later missions showed that the craters were not typical for Mars, but only for the more ancient region imaged by Mariner 4. A surface atmospheric pressure of 4.1 to 7.0 millibars (410 to 700 Pa) and daytime temperatures of −100 °C (−148 °F) were estimated. No magnetic field or Martian radiation belts or, again surprisingly, surface water
156-405: A 15-minute span on September 15, part of an apparent micrometeoroid shower that temporarily changed the spacecraft attitude and probably slightly damaged its thermal shield. Later it was speculated that Mariner 4 passed through debris of D/1895 Q1 (D/Swift) comet, and even made a flyby of that comet's possibly shattered nucleus at 20 million kilometres (12 million miles). On December 7
208-400: A 38.4 kHz synchronization frequency as a time reference. Temperature control was achieved through the use of adjustable louvers mounted on six of the electronics assemblies, plus multilayer insulating blankets, polished aluminum shields, and surface treatments. Other measurements that could be made included: Mariner 4 was also supposed to carry an ultraviolet photometer on the left side of
260-420: A diagonal and 45.7 cm (18.0 in) high. Four solar panels were attached to the top of the frame with an end-to-end span of 6.88 meters (22.6 ft), including solar pressure vanes which extended from the ends. A 104.1 cm × 66.0 cm (41.0 in × 26.0 in) elliptical high-gain parabolic antenna was mounted at the top of the frame as well. An omnidirectional low-gain antenna
312-483: A redesign of the Agena turbopump gearbox. Mariner 5 flew by Venus on October 19, 1967, at an altitude of 3,990 kilometers (2,480 mi). With more sensitive instruments than its predecessor Mariner 2 , Mariner 5 was able to shed new light on the hot, cloud -covered planet and on conditions in interplanetary space. Radio occultation data from Mariner 5 helped to understand the temperature and pressure data returned by
364-500: A shift in its angle as part of the radio occultation experiment. Mariner 5 also included some additional equipment that was not flown on Mariner 4, such as its Ultraviolet Photometer, two 50 MHz DFR antennas, a 423 MHz DFR antenna mounted on the end of one of the solar panels, and a deployable Sun-shade on the aft of the spacecraft for thermal control. The UV Photometer was originally supposed to fly on Mariner 4 and would have been mounted to its TV Camera scan platform. However, it
416-471: A wide angle away from the Sun was needed and Canopus filled this requirement. Subsequently, Canopus was used as a reference point in many following missions. The telecommunications equipment on Mariner 4 consisted of dual S-band transmitters (with either a seven-watt triode cavity amplifier or a ten watt traveling-wave tube amplifier) and a single radio receiver which together could send and receive data via
468-408: Is now defunct in a heliocentric orbit . Further communication attempts were tried, in a joint spacecraft solar wind / solar magnetic fields investigation with Mariner 4 , back in communication with Earth after being out of telemetry for about a year or more around superior conjunction. During the experiment, both spacecraft were going to be on the same idealized magnetic field spiral carried out from
520-543: The Venera 4 lander, which arrived at Venus shortly before it. The Venera 4 and Mariner 5 data was subsequently analysed together under a combined Soviet–American working group of COSPAR in 1969, an organization of early space cooperation. With the data of these missions, it was clear that Venus had a very hot surface and an atmosphere even denser than expected. The operations of Mariner 5 ended in November 1967 and it
572-537: The Martian atmosphere back to Earth. Although the launch was initially successful, there was a separation issue and Mariner 3 stopped responding when its batteries ran out of power. It was the third of ten spacecraft within the Mariner program . Mariner 2 had been a modified Ranger lunar probe , however Mariner 3 used a new, larger bus with four solar panels, a TV camera, and additional instrumentation. Because of
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#1732776496000624-745: The Martian surface. It captured the first images of another planet ever returned from deep space ; their depiction of a cratered, dead planet largely changed the scientific community's view of life on Mars . Other mission objectives were to perform field and particle measurements in interplanetary space in the vicinity of Mars and to provide experience in and knowledge of the engineering capabilities for interplanetary flights of long duration. Initially expected to remain in space for eight months, Mariner 4's mission lasted about three years in solar orbit. On December 21, 1967, communications with Mariner 4 were terminated. The Mariner 4 spacecraft consisted of an octagonal magnesium frame, 127 cm (50 in) across
676-436: The Sun, fewer solar cells were needed to achieve the necessary power generation, and as a result the solar panels were reduced in size to save mass as well as to make room for two 50 MHz dual-frequency receiver (DFR) antennas that were mounted on the frame of two of the solar panels. Since the aft side of the spacecraft faced the Sun, the solar plasma probe was relocated to the aft-facing side of Mariner 5. The mounting for
728-448: The UV photometer would be negated. This spare UV photometer was eventually flown on Mariner 5 in 1967. After Mariner 3 was a total loss due to failure of the payload shroud to jettison, JPL engineers suggested that there had been a malfunction caused during separation of the metal fairing exterior from the fiberglass inner lining due to pressure differences between the inner and outer part of
780-571: The Venusian atmosphere. Mariner 5 was built as a backup to Mariner 4 , but after the success of the Mariner 4 mission, it was modified to be used for a Venus flyby mission to take place during the 1967 Venus launch window. Mariner 5 omitted several experiments from Mariner 4, including the TV camera, the ionization chamber/geiger counter, the cosmic ray detector, and the cosmic dust detector. It retained
832-467: The aft TV Camera scan platform. Late in testing, it was discovered that the inclusion of the UV photometer produced electrical problems that would have jeopardized the TV Camera. As a result, it was removed and replaced with a thermal/inertial mass simulator that was designed to emulate the UV photometer's geometry, mass, and other characteristics so that any unintentional problems caused by the removal of
884-602: The booster to wring more power out of it. Despite fears that the work could not be completed before the 1964 Mars window closed, the new shroud was ready by November. After launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 12 , the protective shroud covering Mariner 4 was jettisoned and the Agena-D /Mariner 4 combination separated from the Atlas-D booster at 14:27:23 UTC on November 28, 1964. The Agena's first burn took place from 14:28:14 to 14:30:38. The initial burn put
936-417: The direction of flight. Both the pitch and roll changes were completed with better than 1% accuracy , the velocity change with about 2.5% accuracy. After the maneuver, Mariner 4 was on course for Mars as planned. On January 5, 1965, 36 days after launch and 10,261,173 km (6,375,997 mi) from Earth, Mariner 4 reduced its rate of transmission of scientific data from 33 1/3 to 8 1/2 bits per second. This
988-514: The exact problem, ground controllers issued a command to turn off the rate gyros to conserve power while they worked to figure out what had happened. Telemetry data suggested a separation failure of either the Agena or the payload fairing, but a below-normal velocity appeared to indicate that the fairing had not separated properly. A command was sent to manually jettison the payload shroud, but nothing happened. The ground controllers next considered firing Mariner 3's midcourse correction engine to blow off
1040-631: The field-of-view while the sensor was locked onto Canopus. When the object was bright enough that it exceeded the high gate limits at eight times the Canopus intensity, the spacecraft would automatically disacquire Canopus and initiate a roll search for a new star. Finally, a radio command was sent on December 17, 1964, that removed the high gate limit. There was no further loss of Canopus lock, although roll transients occurred 38 more times before encounter with Mars. The 7½ month flight of Mariner 4 involved one midcourse maneuver on December 5, 1964. The maneuver
1092-401: The gas supply in the attitude control system was exhausted, and between December 10 and 11, a total of 83 micrometeoroid hits were recorded which caused perturbation of the spacecraft's attitude and degradation of the signal strength. On December 21, 1967, communications with Mariner 4 were terminated. The spacecraft is now derelict in an exterior heliocentric orbit . The total data returned by
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#17327764960001144-550: The greater mass, the new Agena D stage would be used instead of the Agena B . Mariner 3 also utilized a new, larger fiberglass payload fairing. Of the two Atlas-Agena pads at Cape Canaveral, LC-13 became available first following the launch of an Air Force Vela satellite in July 1964. Atlas vehicle 289D was erected on the pad on August 17, with the backup Mariner probe and booster (Atlas 288D) erected on LC-12 on September 28. Mariner 3
1196-410: The helium-vector magnetometer, solar plasma probe, and trapped radiation detector from Mariner 4. Unlike Mariner 4, Mariner 5 needed to face away from the Sun to keep its high-gain antenna pointed at Earth because of its trajectory. As a result, the solar panels were reversed to be aft facing so they could remain pointed at the Sun. Additionally, since its mission to Venus brought it in closer proximity to
1248-406: The high-gain antenna also needed modification. Unlike Mariner 4, where the geometry of the transfer orbit allowed for the high-gain antenna to be inclined at a relatively simple 38 degrees from the bottom plane, Mariner 5's trajectory required the high-gain antenna to be skewed at a more awkward angle. The high-gain antenna also included a single-use mechanism that allowed the high-gain antenna to make
1300-430: The image data to be computer processed, the team used a pastel set from an art supply store to hand-color ( paint-by-numbers style) a numerical printout of the raw pixels . The resulting image provided early verification that the camera was functioning. The hand-drawn image compared favorably with the final, computer-processed one. Data acquisition resumed in late 1967. The cosmic dust detector registered 17 hits in
1352-438: The low- and high-gain antennas at 8⅓ or 33⅓ bits per second. Data could also be stored onto a magnetic tape recorder with a capacity of 5.24 million bits for later transmission. All electronic operations were controlled by a command subsystem which could process any of 29 direct command words or three quantitative word commands for mid-course maneuvers. The central computer and sequencer operated stored time-sequence commands using
1404-543: The mission was 5.2 million bits (about 634 kB ). All instruments operated successfully with the exception of a part of the ionization chamber, namely the Geiger–Müller tube , which failed in February 1965. In addition, the plasma probe had its performance degraded by a resistor failure on December 8, 1964, but experimenters were able to recalibrate the instrument and still interpret the data. The images returned showed
1456-491: The planet's surface. The images taken during the flyby were stored in the on-board tape recorder. At 02:19:11 UTC, Mariner 4 passed behind Mars as seen from Earth and the radio signal ceased. The signal was reacquired at 03:13:04 UTC when the spacecraft reappeared. Cruise mode was then re-established. Transmission of the taped images to Earth began about 8.5 hours after signal reacquisition and continued until August 3. All images were transmitted twice to ensure no data
1508-490: The shroud and that this could have caused the spring-loaded separation mechanism to become tangled and fail to detach properly. Testing at JPL confirmed this failure mode and an effort was made to develop a new, all-metal fairing. The downside of this was that the new fairing would be significantly heavier and reduce the Atlas-Agena's lift capacity. Convair and Lockheed-Martin had to make several performance enhancements to
1560-518: The shroud, but they ran out of time. Eight hours after launch, the batteries in the probe died and the mission was officially terminated. Even if the shroud could be removed, the mission would have failed, since the low velocity meant that Mariner 3 would miss Mars by several million miles. Three weeks later, on November 28, 1964, Mariner 4 was launched successfully on a 7½-month voyage to Mars. The instruments on Mariner 3 included: Mariner 5 Mariner 5 ( Mariner V or Mariner Venus 1967 )
1612-456: The sides of the octagonal structure. The space probe's attitude control was provided by 12 cold nitrogen gas jets mounted on the ends of the solar panels and three gyros . Solar pressure vanes, each with an area of 0.65 m (7.0 sq ft), were attached to the tips of the solar panels. Positional information was provided by four Sun sensors, and a sensor for either the Earth, Mars, or
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1664-444: The spacecraft during the early portion of its mission was that roll error signal transients would occur frequently and on occasion would cause loss of the Canopus star lock. The first attempt at a midcourse maneuver was aborted by a loss of lock shortly after the gyros began spinup. Canopus lock was lost six times within a period of less than three weeks after launch and each time a sequence of radio commands would be required to reacquire
1716-431: The spacecraft into an Earth parking orbit and the second burn from 15:02:53 to 15:04:28 injected the craft into a Mars transfer orbit. Mariner 4 separated from the Agena at 15:07:09 and began cruise mode operations. The solar panels deployed and the scan platform was unlatched at 15:15:00. Sun acquisition occurred 16 minutes later. After Sun acquisition, the Canopus star tracker went searching for Canopus . The star tracker
1768-447: The spacecraft until 1967. The on-board tape recorder used on Mariner 4 was a spare, not originally intended for the Mariner 4 flight. Between the failure of Mariner 3, the fact that the Mariner 4 recorder was a spare, and some error readings suggesting an issue with the tape recorder, it was determined that the team would test the camera function definitively. This eventually led to the first digital image being painted . While waiting for
1820-487: The star Canopus , depending on the time in its spaceflight. Mariner 4 was the first space probe that needed a star for a navigational reference object, since earlier missions, which remained near either the Earth, the Moon , or the planet Venus , had sighted onto either the bright face of the home planet or the brightly lit target. During this flight, both the Earth and Mars would be too dim to lock onto. Another bright source at
1872-409: The star. After a study of the problem, the investigators concluded that the behavior was due to small dust particles that were being released from the spacecraft by some means and were drifting through the star sensor field-of-view. Sunlight scattered from the particles then appeared as illumination equivalent to that from a bright star. This would cause a roll error transient as the object passed through
1924-462: The sun by the solar wind. Between April and November 1968 NASA tried to reacquire Mariner 5 to continue probing interplanetary conditions. Attempts to reacquire Mariner 5 during June, July, and early August 1968 yielded no spacecraft signal. On October 14, the receiver operator at DSS 14 obtained a lock on the Mariner 5 signal. A carrier wave was detected, but outside expected frequency limits and varying in wavelength. Signal strength changes indicated
1976-419: Was a spacecraft of the Mariner program that carried a complement of experiments to probe Venus ' atmosphere by radio occultation , measure the hydrogen Lyman-alpha (hard ultraviolet) spectrum, and sample the solar particles and magnetic field fluctuations above the planet . Its goals were to measure interplanetary and Venusian magnetic fields, charged particles, plasma, radio refractivity and UV emissions of
2028-425: Was detected. Bruce C. Murray used photographs from Mariner 4 to elucidate Mars' geologic history. Images of craters and measurements of a thin atmosphere —much thinner than expected—indicating a relatively inactive planet exposed to the harshness of space, generally dissipated hopes of finding intelligent life on Mars . Life on Mars had been the subject of speculation and science fiction for centuries. If there
2080-412: Was initially scheduled for December 4, but due to a loss of lock with Canopus, it was postponed. The maneuver was successfully completed on December 5; it consisted of a negative pitch turn of 39.16 degrees, a positive roll turn of 156.08 degrees, and a thrusting time of 20.07 seconds. The turns aimed the motor of the spacecraft back in the general direction of Earth, as the motor was initially pointed along
2132-443: Was launched at 2:22 PM EST on November 5, 1964, from Cape Kennedy Air Force Station Launch Complex 13. After an uneventful boost phase, the Agena completed its burn to place the probe on a trajectory towards Mars. One hour after launch, the first telemetry transmissions from Mariner 3 were received, indicating that the scientific instruments were functioning correctly but there was no indication of any solar panel operation. Unsure of
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2184-407: Was life on Mars, after Mariner 4 most concluded it would probably be smaller, simpler forms. Others concluded that a search for life on Earth at kilometer resolution, using several thousand photographs, did not reveal a sign of life on the vast majority of these photographs; thus, based on the 22 photographs taken by Mariner 4, one could not conclude there was no intelligent life on Mars. The solar wind
2236-499: Was measured, and compared with simultaneous records from Mariner 5 which went to Venus . The total cost of the Mariner 4 mission is estimated at $ 83.2 million (equivalent to $ 804 million in 2023). Total research, development, launch, and support costs for the Mariner series of spacecraft (Mariners 1 through 10) was approximately $ 554 million (equivalent to $ 5.36 billion in 2023). Mariner 3 Mariner 3 (together with Mariner 4 known as Mariner-Mars 1964 )
2288-434: Was missing or corrupt. Each individual photograph took approximately six hours to be transmitted back to Earth. The spacecraft performed all programmed activities successfully and returned useful data from launch until 22:05:07 UTC on October 1, 1965, when the long distance to Earth (309.2 million kilometres (192.1 million miles)) and the imprecise antenna orientation led to a temporary loss of communication with
2340-425: Was mounted on a 223.5 cm (7 ft 4.0 in) tall mast next to the high-gain antenna. The overall height of the spacecraft was 2.89 metres (9.5 ft). The octagonal frame housed the electronic equipment, cabling, midcourse propulsion system, and attitude control gas supplies and regulators. The scientific instruments included: The electric power for the instruments and the radio transmitter of Mariner 4
2392-483: Was normal through the Atlas portion of the launch and the first Agena burn, with all systems operating at the proper level. During the second Agena burn, abnormal fluctuations in the engine chamber pressure occurred, however they did not preclude successful interplanetary injection. There had been several occurrences of this behavior on previous NASA and Air Force launches and a program was initiated to correct it which led to
2444-496: Was one of two identical deep-space probes designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA's Mariner-Mars 1964 project that were intended to conduct close-up (flyby) scientific observations of the planet Mars and transmit information on interplanetary space and the space surrounding Mars, televised images of the Martian surface and radio occultation data of spacecraft signals as affected by
2496-518: Was removed (allowing it to be flown on Mariner 5) and swapped out for a thermal/inertial mass simulator late in the assembly of Mariner 4 as it was discovered to create electrical arcing problems that would have jeopardized the TV Camera. Prior to the choice of Venus as the target, proposals had been made to send it to either the comet 7P/Pons–Winnecke or 10P/Tempel . Liftoff took place on June 14, 1967, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 12 on Atlas vehicle 5401. Booster performance
2548-445: Was set to respond to any object more than one-eighth as, and less than eight times as bright as Canopus. Including Canopus, there were seven such objects visible to the sensor. It took more than a day of "star-hopping" to find Canopus, as the sensor locked on to other stars instead: a stray light pattern from the near Earth, Alderamin , Regulus , Naos , and Gamma Velorum were acquired before Canopus. A consistent problem that plagued
2600-444: Was supplied by 28,224 solar cells contained in the four 176 cm × 90 cm (69 in × 35 in) solar panels, which could provide 310 watts at the distance of Mars. A rechargeable 1200 W·h silver-zinc battery was also used for maneuvers and backup. Monopropellant hydrazine was used for propulsion , via a four-jet vane vector control motor, with 222- newton (50 lbf ) thrust, installed on one of
2652-512: Was the first autonomous action the spacecraft had taken since the midcourse maneuver. The Mariner 4 spacecraft flew by Mars on July 14 and 15, 1965. Its closest approach was 9,846 km (6,118 mi) from the Martian surface at 01:00:57 UT July 15, 1965 (8:00:57 p.m. EST July 14), its distance to Earth was 216 million kilometres (134 million miles), its speed was 7 km/s (4.3 mi/s) relative to Mars, 1.7 km/s (1.1 mi/s) relative to Earth. Planetary science mode
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#17327764960002704-448: Was turned on at 15:41:49 UTC on July 14. The camera sequence started at 00:18:36 UT on July 15 (7:18:49 p.m. EST on July 14) and 21 pictures using alternate red and green filters, plus 21 lines of a 22nd picture were taken. The images covered a discontinuous swath of Mars starting near 40° N, 170° E, down to about 35° S, 200° E, and then across to the terminator at 50° S, 255° E, representing about 1% of
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