In the aerospace context, "Mariner" is the name of a series of American spacecraft missions conducted by NASA during the 1960s and 1970s. The Mariner missions were designed to explore the inner planets of the solar system, including Venus, Mars, and Mercury.
Some examples of Mariner missions include:
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Mariner 2: Launched in 1962, this was the first successful interplanetary probe, it flew by Venus and gathered data on the planet's atmosphere and surface conditions.
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Mariner 4: Launched in 1964, this was the first spacecraft to fly by Mars and return close-up images of the planet's surface.
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Mariner 5: Launched in 1967, this spacecraft flew by Venus and gathered data on the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field.
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Mariner 9: Launched in 1971, this was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars) and returned detailed images of the planet's surface and atmosphere.
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Mariner 10: Launched in 1973, this spacecraft flew by Venus and Mercury. It was the first spacecraft to visit Mercury and provided the first close-up images of the planet.
The Mariner missions provided important information about the conditions and geology of the inner planets and helped pave the way for future missions to these bodies.