<p>Developed together, the twin Mariner 1 and 2 spacecraft were based on the Ranger lunar probe and planned for a joint mission to our closest neighboring planet. The probes featured seven instruments for studying Venus’ atmosphere, temperature, and magnetic field. On July 22, 1962, Mariner 1 launched, but the spacecraft was destroyed only minutes into<a class="more-link" href="https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/dec-14-1961-mariner-2-flies-by-venus/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Dec. 14, 1961: Mariner 2 flies by Venus"</span></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/dec-14-1961-mariner-2-flies-by-venus/">Dec. 14, 1961: Mariner 2 flies by Venus</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.astronomy.com">Astronomy Magazine</a>.</p>
Developed together, the twin Mariner 1 and 2 spacecraft were based on the Ranger lunar probe and planned for a joint mission to our closest neighboring planet. The probes featured seven instruments for studying Venus’ atmosphere, temperature, and magnetic field. On July 22, 1962, Mariner 1 launched, but the spacecraft was destroyed only minutes intoContinue reading “Dec. 14, 1961: Mariner 2 flies by Venus”
The post Dec. 14, 1961: Mariner 2 flies by Venus appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.