Slice of History - 55th Anniversary of the Mariner 6 Launch
Happy 55th Anniversary, Mariner 6! On 25 February 1969, Mariner 6 began the first dual journey to Mars for itself and its companion, the soon-after launched Mariner 7. With the objective of providing experience and data for the encounter of its twin, Mariner 6 flew over the equator and south polar regions of Mars, analyzed its atmosphere and surface with remote sensors, and recorded and relayed hundreds of images.
By chance, both Mariner 6 and 7 flew over cratered regions and missed both the giant northern volcanoes and the equatorial grand canyon later discovered. Their approach images did, however, show the dark features long seen from Earth, but no Martian canals. This encounter intended to gather information regarding signs of life and to help develop technology for future missions to the Red Planet.
This photo, taken in March 1969, shows practice lift-off activities for Mission G in the Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF) in between the twins’ launches. CL#23-6588
The content presented here should be viewed in the context of the time period. Our intent is to present the history of JPL in a factual manner that uses primary resources and historical context. We recognize that some information or images do not reflect the current values, policies, and mission of JPL.
Want to learn more about the history of JPL?