Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

22:23:04

Sunday May 30, 1971

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Mariner 9

Wiki

Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars '71 / Mariner-I) was a robotic space probe that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars and was part of the NASA Mariner program. Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet – only narrowly beating the Soviet probes Mars 2 (launched May 19) and Mars 3 (launched May 28), which both arrived at Mars only weeks later.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

998 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Atlas-SLV3C Centaur-D

Active 1967 to 1972


Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-36B

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

50 days 6 hours

Stats

Atlas-Centaur


24th

Mission

3rd

Mission of 1971

1971


55th

Orbital launch attempt