Mariner 10

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Mariner 10 was the first space mission to be sent to Mercury. Before this launch, very little was known about the planet. Because of the little knowledge about the innermost planet, the discoveries scientists uncovered in this mission shocked them. But because scientists became curious, this eventful mission blasted off. Mariner 10 was the most eventful Mercury mission because of the challenges faced in space, the facts that were discovered about Venus and Mercury, and the current state of the spacecraft.
The objectives of the Mariner 10 spacecraft were the foundations to influence a great scientific change in history. The primary objectives were the main reasons Mariner 10 lifted off. Measurements of environments, atmospheres, surfaces, and body characteristics were to take place (“Mariner 10” Mariner 1). Mercury’s core needed to be studied. Venus’s interaction with the solar wind and the way sun particles affected the planet needed to be explored (Howell 2). Secondary objectives included experiments being performed and the process of using the gravitational pull of one planet to reach another (“Mariner 10” Mariner 1).
The spacecraft structure greatly influenced the impact of this mission on science history. The spacecraft itself weighed 503 kilograms, or 1,108 pounds. The fuel weighed twenty-nine kilograms, or sixty-four pounds. The adapter weighed thirty kilograms, or sixty-six pounds (Hamilton 1). Measuring the spacecraft diagonally resulted in 1.39 meters, or 4.56 feet. The depth measurements came out to .457 meters, or 1.5 feet (Hamilton 1). Two solar panels were strategically placed on top, both 2.7 meters, otherwise known as 8.86 feet, in perimeter measurements (Hamilton 1). This eight-sided spacecraft was also equipped wi...

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...(“Mariner 10” Mission 1). Mariners 1-10 cost about 554 million dollars altogether. Mariner 10 itself cost about 100 million dollars (“Mariner 10” Nasa 3). The spacecraft’s controls and transmitters were turned off, leaving it suspended in space still orbiting the sun. The spacecraft also ran out of fuel, discontinuing any information to reach NASA (Howell 4).
The Mariner 10 mission was the spacecraft that has been credited with finding out more about Venus and Mercury. Being a mission of many firsts, this mission left a mark on science history. Many experiments were performed and tested, setting a foundation for future missions. The events that took place in this mission helped NASA and other scientists who study space learn more about our neighboring planets. Mariner 10 was the foundation for other Mercury missions and definitely contributed greatly towards science

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