Mariner 5

Part of the Mariner program

Mariner 5 carried a complement of experiments to probe Venus's atmosphere with radio waves, scan its brightness in ultraviolet light, and sample the solar particles and magnetic field fluctuations above the planet. It flew by Venus on October 19, 1967 at an altitude of 3,990 kilometers. With more sensitive instruments than its predecessor Mariner 2, Mariner 5 was able to shed new light on the hot, cloud-covered planet and on conditions in interplanetary space. Operations of Mariner 5 ended in November 1967.

Spacecraft
Octagonal bus structure with four solar panels. 3-axis stabilized using cold gas thrusters. S-Band communications via LGA and HGA. Thermal shield.

Payload
Instruments examined Venus' atmosphere with radio waves and ultraviolet scanners and sampled the solar particles and magnetic fields in the region of the planet.

Country of Origin	United States
Customer/User	NASA
Manufacturer(s)	JPL
Orbit	Solar orbit - Flyby trajectory. Arrival at Venus on October 19, 1967.
Related Sites	JPL Mariner 5 Summary

Launch Facts

Name	Int'l Desig.	Date	Site	Vehicle	Orbit	Mass(kg)
Notes
Mariner 5	1967-060A	6/14/67	ESMC	Atlas Agena D	Solar	244
Venus flyby 10/19/67