Mariner 1 facts for kids
Launch of Mariner 1
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| Mission type | Venus flyby |
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| Operator | NASA / JPL |
| Mission duration | 4 minutes, 53 seconds Failed to orbit |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Mariner based on Ranger Block I |
| Manufacturer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 202.8 kilograms (447 lb) |
| Power | 220 watts (at Venus encounter) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | July 22, 1962, 09:21:23 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas LV-3 Agena-B |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-12 |
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Mariner 1 was a space probe built by NASA, the American space agency. It was the very first spacecraft in the Mariner program, which was a series of missions designed to explore planets like Venus and Mars.
Mariner 1 was supposed to fly past Venus and collect important information about the planet. However, its mission ended very quickly. The rocket carrying Mariner 1 went off course and became a safety risk. Because of this, it was destroyed by the Range Safety Officer just 293 seconds (less than 5 minutes) after it launched. After Mariner 1, the next mission was Mariner 2, which was successful.
Why Mariner 1 Was Destroyed
Mariner 1 was launched on an Atlas-Agena rocket. This rocket was controlled by a special computer program. Inside this program was a mathematical formula that helped guide the rocket.
However, a small but very important symbol was missing from this formula. It was like a tiny typo in the computer code. This missing symbol meant that the rocket's guidance system couldn't properly smooth out small changes in its path.
Because of this error, the rocket became too sensitive to minor movements. It started to go off course and became uncontrollable. To prevent the rocket from crashing into populated areas, the Range Safety Officer had to destroy it in the air.
Years later, a famous science fiction writer named Arthur C. Clarke joked that Mariner 1 was "wrecked by the most expensive hyphen in history." He meant that a tiny, missing symbol (which looks a bit like a hyphen or an overline) caused the loss of a very expensive spacecraft.
Images for kids
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This picture shows the path of Mariner 2, which was the next mission after Mariner 1.
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A diagram showing what the Mariner 1 spacecraft looked like.
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The communications station at Woomera, which helped track spacecraft.
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The Atlas Agena rocket carrying Mariner 1, ready for launch.
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See also
In Spanish: Mariner 1 para niños
