EXPLORING THE RED PLANET
FIRST EXPLORATIONS OF MARS
Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to obtain and transmit close range images of Mars. After its launch on November 28, 1964 and a journey of eight months and hundreds of millions of kilometres, Mariner 4 passed within 9844 kilometers of Mars on July 14, 1965.
The spacecraft carried a television camera and six other science instruments to study the Martian atmosphere and surface. The 22 photographs taken by Mariner revealed the existence of lunar type craters upon a desert-like surface. After completing its mission, Mariner 4 continued past Mars to the far side of the Sun. On December 20, 1967, all operations of the spacecraft were ended.
QUICK FACTS
The distance from Mars to Earth is between 55.7 and 401 million kilometres, depending on its orbit. Mars is half the size of Earth. Mars is one tenth the mass of Earth. There are 687 Earth days in a year on Mars; that’s how many days it takes for Mars to make one revolution around the Sun.
The length of a Martian day, known as a “sol,” is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds.
The average temperature on Mars is minus 55 degrees Celsius. When the sun is shining in the summer, the temperature near the Martian equator can reach 20 degrees Celsius, but it drops to minus 100 degrees Celsius at night!
The highest wind speed recorded on Mars is 144 km/h.
Water has been found on Mars in the form of vapour, ice and snow.