APOLLO MISSION CONTROL PHOTO PLUS

HOME

Back Mariner Homepage

Back to Unmanned Missions

Mariner 8 & 9 - 1971 Mars Mission

The Mariner Mars 71 mission was planned to consist of two spacecraft on complementary missions. The launch failure of Mariner 8 forced Mariner 9 to combine the mission objectives of both. The mission exceeded all primary photographic requirements by photo-mapping 100 percent of the planet's surface and taking the first close-up photographs of Mars' moons Deimos and Phobos. The spacecraft returned a total of 7329 images before it was turned off 349 days after entering orbit.

Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet.

The Mariner 9 spacecraft was built on an octagonal magnesium frame, 45.7 cm deep and 138.4 cm across diagonally. Four solar panels, each 215 x 90 cm, extended out from the top of the frame. Each set of two solar panels spanned 6.89 meters from tip to tip. Also mounted on the top of the frame were two propulsion tanks, the maneuver engine, a 1.44 m long low gain antenna mast and a parabolic high gain antenna. A scan platform was mounted on the bottom of the frame, on which were attached the mutually bore-sighted science instruments (wide- and narrow-angle TV cameras, infrared radiometer, ultraviolet spectrometer, and infrared interferometer spectrometer). The overall height of the spacecraft was 2.28 m. The launch mass was 997.9 kg, of which 439.1 kg were expendables. The science instrumentation had a total mass of 63.1 kg. The electronics for communications and command and control were housed within the frame.

£4.95

Mariner 9 Flight Path To Mars

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-714

30 April 1971

Diagram showing the intercept trajectory to Mars from a May 1971 Launch of the Mariner Spacecraft.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£3.95

Mariner Spacecraft's Aiming Zones

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-713

30 April 1971

A very useful drawing that provides a visual understanding of the distances each of the Mariner mission achieved from there respective planetary targets. Showing the relative distances that Mariner 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were to each planet with Mariner 9's expected distance from Mars.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in near mint condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Going Into Mars Orbit

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1625

1971

A wonderful artist's concept showing Mariner 9 going into orbit around the Red Planet. The first U.S. spacecraft to orbit another planet when it entered orbit around Mars on 13 November 1971.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

The Mariner 9 Spacecraft

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-708

30 April 1971

The Mariner 9 spacecraft was built on a 40-pound 8 sided magnesium frame, 45.7 cm deep and 138.4 cm across diagonally. Four solar panels, each 215 x 90 cm, extended out from the top of the frame. Each set of two solar panels spanned 6.89 meters from tip to tip. Also mounted on the top of the frame were two propulsion tanks, the manoeuvre engine, a 1.44 m long low gain antenna mast and a parabolic high gain antenna. A scan platform was mounted on the bottom of the frame, on which were attached the mutually bore-sighted science instruments.

The Mars orbiter was fully attitude stabilized using the Sun and the star Canopus as the basic attitude references.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

The Mariner 9 Spacecraft #2

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-709

30 April 1971

The Mars orbiter was fully attitude stabilized using the Sun and the star Canopus as the basic attitude references.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

The Mariner 9 Spacecraft #3

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-717

30 April 1971

The Mars orbiter was fully attitude stabilized using the Sun and the star Canopus as the basic attitude references.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

Mariner 9 - Science Instrumentation

A scan platform was mounted on the bottom of the frame of the Mariner 9 spacecraft on which were attached the mutually bore-sighted science instruments. The primary instruments were a wide- and narrow-angle TV camera, infrared radiometer, ultraviolet spectrometer, and infrared interferometer spectrometer.

£4.95

Mariner 9 Wide Angle TV Camera

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-711

30 April 1971

Cut-away drawing of Mariner 9's Wide Angle TV Camera.

This very fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in near mint condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 Narrow Angle TV Camera

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-712

30 April 1971

Cut-away drawing of Mariner 9's Narrow Angle TV Camera.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£3.95

Mariner 9 Ultraviolet Spectrometer

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-715

30 April 1971

Cut-away drawing of Mariner 9's Ultraviolet Spectrometer.

A full page of purple text is on the back of this NASA photograph giving complete details of this Science Instrument and its use during the Mariner 9 mission.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£3.95

Mariner 9 Interferometer Spectrometer

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-706

30 April 1971

Cut-away drawing of Mariner 9's Interferometer Spectrometer.

A full page of purple text is on the back of this NASA photograph giving complete details of this Science Instrument and its use during the Mariner 9 mission.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£3.95

Mariner 9 Infrared Radiometer

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-716

30 April 1971

Cut-away drawing of Mariner 9's Infrared Radiometer.

A full page of purple text is on the back of this NASA photograph giving complete details of this Science Instrument and its use during the Mariner 9 mission.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner Mars Spacecraft Flight Tests

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 70-H-1684

22 December 1970

Two JPL Engineers are seen preparing the first of two Mariner-Mars spacecrafts for centre-of-gravity tests at JPL's Pasadena laboratory. The large round opening is the 10-inch telescope optics of the narrow angle TV Camera.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

Mariner 9 TV Camera Checks

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-703

19 April 1971

Two JPL Engineers check the narrow-angle TV camera of the Mariner-Mars spacecraft at the Cape during pre-flight check-out before mating with the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner Propulsion Tank Check Out

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-702

April 1971

Spacecraft engineers are seen checking the propulsion tank of the Mariner-Mars spacecraft during final pre-flight checks at the Cape before the space craft is mated with the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 Mission Control

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1774

14 November 1971

Historic overall view of the Mariner 9 Mission Control Centre at the moment of orbit insertion at JPL's facilities in Pasadena California.

Mariner 9 arrived at Mars on 14 November 1971 after a 167 day flight. A 15 minute 23 second rocket burn put the spacecraft into Mars orbit.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Dr. Masursky Examines Mariner 9 Photos

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1777

14 November 1971

Dr. Harold Masursky, USGS, the TV imaging team leader for the Mariner 9 mission examines a number of the pre-orbit science photographs at JPL's facility in Pasadena, California.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£9.95

Mariner 9 View Of Mars No. 14

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1752

11 November 1971

Mariner 9 took this photograph of Mars at 3:38 a.m. PST on 11 November 1971 during its approach to the Red Planet. The south polar cap shines dimly through the apparent atmospheric haze, probably dust. This was the 14th picture taken during a 24-hour series of Mars surveillance photos. The picture was taken with Mariner's narrow-angle camera from a distance of 445,000 miles. The 'dust storm' has obscured the usually prominent Martian surface features from ground-based observers for several months.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

Mariner 9 View Of Mars

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1753

11 November 1971

The most conspicuous feature yet observed on Mars by Mariner 9 is the darkish spot located near the top of this picture. It has been tentatively identified with Nix Olympica, a curious ring-shaped feature photographed by Mariner 6 and 7 in 1969 and a point which radar indicates is one of the highest on Mars. One possible explanation suggests a high mountain or plateau which is being seen as it rises up through the bright dust surrounding the rest of the planet. This picture, one of a series of 31 recorded on the first tape-load during approach to Mars, was taken at 8:46 a.m. PST, 11 November 1971, at a range of about 408,000 miles.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Photographs Phobos

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1808

13 November 1971

Mariner 9 took this photograph of the Martian Satellite Phobos a few hours before going into orbit around the Red Planed on 13 November 1971. The picture has been enhanced by computer filtering in JPL's Image Processing Laboratory. This small Martian Moon is outlined against the brightness of Mars, Phobos appears as a dark, somewhat elongated spot and is approximately 14 by 10 miles in size. To date, Phobos is the darkest object to photographed in the solar system.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

Mariner 9 & Mariner 7 Photographs

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1757

13 November 1971

This mosaic of Mariner 9 frames (top) taken during the first orbit shows the remnants of the south polar cap of Mars dimly through the great dust storm.

Mariner 7 photographed the same area in August, 1969 (bottom) at which time the entire region was covered with dry ice. The strange quasilinear features of 1969 have been replaced by a number of bright curved appendages never before seen on Mars and, at this time, are unexplained.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

Mariner 9 & Mariner 7 Photographs #2

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1756

13 November 1971

This is the exact same photograph as above (71-H-1757) but has completely the wrong description on the back. This is not uncommon for NASA but usually they will have the same Photo number. Interesting that NASA has assigned another number to this photo that has the wrong description on the back that has absolutely no relation to the image on the front.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Man's First View Of Deimos

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1809

26 November 1971

This was man's first ever view of the disc of Martian moon Deimos obtained by the Mariner 9 spacecraft during its 25th orbit at 3:33 a.m. PST on 26 November 1971. About half of the irregularly-shaped satellite was illuminated for the narrow-angle camera aboard the Mars orbiting spacecraft. The image was stored on the Mariner tape recorder and transmitted to JPL via the Deep Space Station in Madrid, Spain. Prior to the photograph Deimos had been seen only through Earth telescopes and by the Mariner 9 camera several weeks ago, before the spacecraft entered Mars orbit. the timy moon, estimated in this photo at 5.5 miles through the poles (top to bottom) and 7 miles across, appeared each time only as a point of light.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 South Polar Cap Views

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1840

19 Nov. - 1 Dec. 1971

Topographic features of the South Polar Cap, probably of very low relief, are correlated with letters, and large scale changes in the Cap outline between November 19 and December 1 are indicated by numbers.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 South Polar Cap

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 71-H-1771

13 November 1971

This dramatic view of the entire south polar cap of Mars was obtained by Mariner 9 during its fifth orbit of the Red Planet. The larger of the two major remnants is laced with fine, dark, frost-free markings reflecting a topographic patter apparently unique to this area of Mars.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Martian Cantonlands

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-16

January 1972

The Martian Cantolands, parto of a 120,00 square kilometre complex in Noctis Lacus on the northern edge of the Selis Lacus region, photographed by the Mariner 9 orbiting spacecraft during its 69th circuit of the Red Planet.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Over The South Pole

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-21

6 January 1972

Extraordinary pits and hollows, never before seen on Mars, were photographed on January 6, 1972 on the 108th orbit of the Mariner 9 spacecraft from a range of 2072 miles. Located about 500 miles from the Martian South Pole, these features pose some provocative questions about the geological processes which have shaped the landforms of the polar region.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Clear View Of Mare Sirenum

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-22

7 January 1972

The first clear view of rilles, or crack, in the Martian crust was seen by the telephoto lens of Mariner 9 on January 7 during its 109th revolution of the Red Planet. This photo was taken from a distance of 1072 miles and covers an area 21 miles high by 26 miles across the Mars 'Mare 'Sirenum'.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Views Martian Splotches

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-24

7 January 1972

Dark Splotches on Mars, much of the south Temperate zone of Mars is found by Mariner 9 to contain dark irregular areas not present in Mariner 7 taken in 1969. This view is in Phaethontia and taken during the 109th orbit at a rang of 1282 miles.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Views Middle Spot Twice

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-85

11 January 1972

A probable Martian shield volcano, informally called 'Middle Spot' is photographed by Mariner 9 during its 117th orbit from a distance of 1209 miles. These two frames were taken six minutes apart. Picture at the top was taken with Mariner's wide-angle, medium-resolution camera. The rectangle shows the same area photographed by the telephoto lens in the lower frame.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 View Of Tithonius Lacus

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-43

12 January 1972

This view of Mars was taken by Mariner 9 on January 12, 1972 and is located in Tithonius Lacus, 300 miles south of the equator, these features represent a type of landform evolution apparently unique to Mars. The picture was taken with Mariner 9's wide-angle TV camera from 1225 miles and covers an area of 235 by 300 miles.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 First Clear View Of Nix Olympica

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-41

January 1972

This gigantic volcanic mountain on Mars called, Nix Olympica, was photographed by Mariner 9 in late January as the great Martian dust storm finally subsided. The clearing atmosphere reveals a mountain 310 miles across at the base and its complex multiple volcanic vent is 40 miles in diameter. This photo was taken during Mariner 9's 146th orbit around the Red Planet.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Measures Tithonius Lacus

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-209

January 1972

This mosaic of two photohgraphs of the Tithonius Lacus region on Mars taken by the Mariner 9 spacecraft revealed a canyon twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona when the pictures were compared with pressure measurements taken by the ultraviolet spectrometer experiment aboard the spacecraft. These photographs were taken during the 162nd orbit from an altitude of 1070 miles and covers an area of 400 miles across.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Winter In Mare Acidelium

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-229

February 1972

Throughout the Mariner 9 Mission, Mars has been experiencing Winter in its Northern Hemisphere. During this season, latitudes above about 45 deg. North have been blanketed by clouds as shows in this picture taken in the region of Mare Acidelium. during the spacecrafts 176th orbit.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Views The South Pole

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-228

12 February 1972

Mariner 9 took this photograph of some striking geometric patterns while over the South Pole during its 180th orbit. The area shown is around 26 by 30 miles taken from an altitude of 1821 miles.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Fluid Channels On Mars

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-343

4 March 1972

With the completion of Mariner 9's mapping mission of Mars, pictures were taken of features of special interest, such as this braided channel sweeping past a crater. Such channels suggest the former presence of fluid erosion of the Martian surface. This mosaic was taken from an average range of 1116 miles during the 224th orbit on 4 March 1972.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 Northern Polar Cap

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 72-H-903

23 June 1972

This picture, received from Mariner 9 on 23 June, shows the retreating Northern Polar Cap of Mars with evidence that its ice may be water ice instead of the carbon dioxide ice that is usually formed on Mars. Taken from an altitude of 3348 miles it covers an area about 750 miles across.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

SOLD

Mariner 9 Photo Mosaic Globe Of Mars

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 73-H-848

September 1973

Scientist Elmer Christensen (right) points to last photographic piece that completed the first photo-mosaic globe of Mars assembled at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Looking on is Edwin Pounder, manager of the Mariner 9 Mars project at JPL.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Photo For The Globe

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 74-H-647

30 July 1974

Nix Olymipica as photographed by the Mariner 9 spacecraft. Computer enhancement of more than 1500 pictures used for the Mars Globe sharply etch details of the surface as seen in this close-up.

Note you can see this image on the glob in the above photo (73-H-848)

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£8.95

Mariner 9 Global Mosaic Of Mars

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 74-H-648

30 July 1974

Global mosaic of Mars, 4 feet in diameter, is made of more than 1500 computer corrected television pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1971 and 1972. The residual North Pole Ice Cap is at top. This photo globe is the first ever made of any body in the solar system and was prepared by JPL at Caltech.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Global Mosaic Of Mars #2

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 74-H-649

30 July 1974

Global mosaic of Mars, 4 feet in diameter, is made of more than 1500 computer corrected television pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1971 and 1972. The residual North Pole Ice Cap is at the centre. This photo globe is the first ever made of any body in the solar system and was prepared by JPL at Caltech.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

£7.95

Mariner 9 Global Mosaic Of Mars #3

10 x 8 B/W Glossy NASA Photograph

NASA No. 74-H-650

30 July 1974

Global mosaic of Mars, 4 feet in diameter, is made of more than 1500 computer corrected television pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1971 and 1972. The residual North Pole Ice Cap is at top. at lower centre is the giant volcano Nix Olympica. this photo globe is the first ever made of any body in the solar system and was prepared by JPL at Caltech.

This fine vintage glossy NASA photograph is in very good condition.

Mariner 10 Venus/Mercury 1973

Mariner 10 was the first mission to use the gravitational attraction of one planet to reach another, the first mission with two planetary objectives, and (to date) the only mission ever to perform up close imaging and science at Mercury.

The vehicle's first planetary encounter was with Venus on 3 November 1973. Mariner 10 took some 4,000 photos of Venus, which revealed a nearly round planet enveloped in smooth cloud layers. The Venus flyby deflected Mariner 10's trajectory towards Mercury , which it flew past at 756 km altitude on 29 March 1974. Photographs taken during the pass revealed an intensely cratered, Moon-like surface and a faint atmosphere of mostly helium. After the first flyby, Mariner 10's solar orbit permitted two more rendezvous with Mercury. On 21 September 1974, the second Mercury rendezvous provided another opportunity to photograph the sunlit side of the planet and the south polar region. The third and final Mercury encounter occurred on 16 March 1975, and yielded primarily fields and particles data. The vehicle was turned off on 24 March 1975 after its onboard fuel was depleted.

Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to reach Mercury. Mariner 10 was placed in a parking orbit for 25 minutes after launch, then accelerated to a trans-Venus escape trajectory. The television and ultraviolet experiments were trained on the comet Kohoutek while the spacecraft was en route to its destination.