Mars Spacecraft This Year

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30528, 25 August 1964, Page 13

Mars Spacecraft This Year

(N.Z.r.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, August 24.

The United States is to launch two spacecraft towards Mars later this year in its most ambitious unmanned space project to date, the National Space Agency has announced.

Two Mariner space vehicles will be launched on their journey to the “red planet” some time in the last quarter of the year, the agency said. The flight is due to take tip to nine months. The two launchings—-on a 35Q-million-mile path between the orbits of Earth and Mars

—will be made in as short a time as possible. Scientists must send the probes on their journeys within a brief period of a few weeks, when conditions are suitable. This period occurs only once every 25 months.

On their journey the two Mariners will report on radiation, magnetic fields and micrometeorites in space. As they pass Mars they will send back television pictures of the planet An attempt will be made to gather information on the Mars atmosphere—knowledge that is vital for the future exploration of the planet. Experts plan to send one or both of the spacecraft through the Martian atmosphere and behind the planet They will go into orbit around the sun after passing Mars. Television shots of the

planet may be taken from as near as 15,000 miles. At the time the spacecraft are nearest to Mars the planet and Earth will be almost 150 m miles apart The Mariner Mars spacecraft will weigh about 5701 b. They will have a span of 22ft with sojar panels extended and a height of nine and a half feet