Nov 10 1971
From The Space Library
November 10-11: Mariner 9 (launched by NASA May 30) began taking preorbit science photos of Mars, showing planet as featureless, halfmoon-like object, hazy and dust-covered. First photos, taken over 24-hr period from distances of 860 000 to 570 000 km (535 000 to 355 000 mi) from Mars, were transmitted to Goldstone tracking station and then to JPL Nov. 11. They were not as clear as photos taken by Mariner 6 and 7 in 1969. Astronomers reported dust storm of "unprecedented" duration and scope ranging over much of planet, obscuring nearly all surface details. Dr. William H. Pickering, JPL Director, said storm could be regarded as a "premium," since opportunity to see dynamic, unusual event on another planet was rare. But protracted period of bad weather over Mars could jeopardize mapping of surface. Dr. Bradford A. Smith of New Mexico State Univ. said storm appeared to have reached its peak about Oct. 21 and there had been "a positive but very, very slow clearing of the dust. . . . We're quite clearly seeing the south polar cap." Polar cap, he said, was not as bright as expected, indicating dust had not cleared away completely in that region. Scientists believed they were able to see Deimos, tiny outer moon of Mars. Photos, made in three sequences at intervals, provided complete coverage of planet as it rotated about its axis. First two sequences each covered one Martian day; third covered about one third of day. Radio signals had reached Goldstone, Calif., tracking station, were relayed to JPL, and were fed into computers that had converted signals to TV images. Mariner 9 was scheduled to enter Mars orbit Nov. 13. (NASA Proj Off; Wilford, NYT, 11/11-12/71; Sehlstedt, B Sun, 11/11-12/71)
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