In July 1965 the Mariner 4 spacecraft made history when it completed the first flyby of the red planet and sent 21 grainy black-and-white images of Mars back to Earth
The Mariner 4 Mission also put to rest the theory advanced by amateur astronomer Percival Lowell, that technologically superior Martians were busy digging canals and building a flourishing civilization on the planet
NASA currently has two working rovers on the surface of Mars — Curiosity and Perseverance — sending back stunning high-resolution, color images, some from cameras built in San Diego
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance mission even captured and sent back video footage of its rover landing on Mars earlier this year
The Mariner 4 mission was lofted from Earth by a Convair-built Atlas-Agena rocket
CAPE KENNEDY (AP) — Mariner 4 rocketed into space today and the flight control center reported it executed early maneuvers successfully on the start of an intended 7 1/2-month journey to Mars
The camera-equipped explorer, which represents the United States’ last chance for a close look at Mars for two years, is scheduled to fly across 325 million miles of space before passing within 8,600 miles of the red planet July 14
During a 30-minute encounter before Mariner 4 soars past Mars into orbit about the sun, a television camera is to take 22 pictures, and instruments are to study atmospheric density, radiation and other scientific secrets
Jack James, Mariner project director, told a news conference three hours after launching that preliminary tracking data indicated the Mariner was progressing smoothly
A critical hurdle was cleared 5 minutes 22 seconds after launching, when a protective metal shroud separated from the spacecraft
Structural failure of a shroud made of weaker material ruined the Mariner 3 launching to Mars earlier this month
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