Regional Planetary Image Facility

Mars - Spacecraft Encounters

MARINER 4, 6 and 7 (1964-1969)

The Mariner 4, 6 and 7 spacecraft were designed to make a single pass by Mars and return photographic data.

 

MARINER 9 (1971)

Mariner 9 surveyed the Martian surface for nearly one year and successfully returned over 6,000 photos.
Selected imagery available online

 

VIKING 1 and 2 (1975-1982)

The Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft each consisted of an Orbiter and a Lander. The Orbiter cameras returned over 49,000 photos of the surface of Mars as well as its two satellites, Phobos and Deimos. The Landers' two facsimile cameras returned over 1,800 images of the area surrounding the spacecraft.

For more information see: Exploration of Mars