Nov. 13, 1971: Mariner 9 orbits Mars

On May 30, 1971, Mariner 9 launched, setting off on its mission to Mars. On Nov. 13, 167 days later, it entered orbit around Mars, making it the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. With Mariner 8, Mariner 9 was one half of the Mars 71 mission. But when Mariner 8 launched on May 9,Continue reading “Nov. 13, 1971: Mariner 9 orbits Mars”

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