Mariner 5

Exploration mission to Venus

The Mariner 5 spacecraft was the fifth in a series of spacecraft used for planetary exploration in the flyby mode. Mariner 5 was a refurbished backup spacecraft for the Mariner 4 mission and was converted from a Mars mission to a Venus mission. Its Venus encounter brought it closer to the sun than any previous mission.

Mission Class:

Larger Missions

Mission Status:

Past

LASP Roles:

Instruments

Science Target:

Venus

Mission Focus:

Planetary Atmosphere, Planetary Magnetosphere

Launch Date: June 14, 1967
Prime Mission: 4 months
Venus Flyby: October 19, 1967

Lead Institution: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Lead Funding Agency: NASA’s Mariner Program