Mars flyby facts for kids
A Mars flyby happens when a spacecraft flies very close to the planet Mars. It doesn't go into orbit around Mars or land on it. Think of it like a quick drive-by! Space agencies use special robotic spacecraft, called probes, for these flybys. These probes don't have people on board. They are designed to quickly gather information as they zoom past Mars. Sometimes, these spacecraft are even called "flyby buses" or "flyby spacecraft."
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Why Do Spacecraft Do Flybys?
Spacecraft perform flybys to collect important data. They take pictures and measure things about a planet. This helps scientists learn about distant worlds. Flybys are often a first step in exploring a new planet. They can also be used to test new technologies.
Famous Mars Flybys
Many spacecraft have flown past Mars over the years. Each mission helped us learn more about the Red Planet.
Early Attempts to Reach Mars
In the early 1960s, several countries tried to send probes to Mars.
- The Soviet Union made two attempts in 1960. These were called Mars 1M (Mars 1960A and Mars 1960B).
- Another Soviet attempt was Mars 2MV-4 No.1 in 1962. It was also known as Sputnik 22. Sadly, it broke apart shortly after launch.
- Mars 1 also launched in 1962. It lost contact before reaching Mars.
The Mariner Program
The Mariner program was a series of American robotic probes. They explored inner planets like Mars.
- Mariner 4 made history in 1965. It was the first successful Mars flyby. It sent back the first close-up pictures of Mars. These images showed a cratered surface.
- Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 followed in 1969. They also flew past Mars. They sent back more pictures and data. This helped us understand the Martian atmosphere.
Later Mars Flybys
Other missions have also performed Mars flybys.
- Mars 4 was a Soviet probe in 1974. It successfully flew past Mars. It detected an ionosphere on the night side. An ionosphere is a layer of charged particles in the atmosphere.
- The Mars program also included other missions. Mars 6 and Mars 7 were landers. They were carried by flyby spacecraft.
- The Rosetta spacecraft flew by Mars in 2007. It came within 250 kilometers of the planet. Rosetta was on its way to a comet.
- The Dawn spacecraft flew past Mars in 2009. Its closest approach was 549 kilometers. Dawn was heading to explore asteroids.
- The Nozomi probe also attempted a Mars flyby.
Images for kids
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This shows two of the frames from the Mariner 4 flyby projected over a grid
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An image taken during the Mariner 4 Mars flyby is presented to the U.S. President
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Mariner 7 lift-off
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See also
In Spanish: Sobrevuelos de Marte para niños
