UMSF space history photo of the month Options

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

Maybe we could make this a monthly item, in which we could look back at the history of Unmanned Space missions.
For January 2008 I've chosen an image showing the coverage of the Sun by early Pioneer 5-8 spacecraft.
Pioneer 5 to 8, or Pioneer V to VIII using the system of Roman numerals in vogue during the early 1960s for spacecraft designations, were directed towards the Sun along the earth's orbit to monitor solar activity. Pioneer V was launched on 11th March 1960 and provided the very first space weather report 4 to 8 hours before a solar storm hit the Earth.
Some of this Pioneer quartet, Pioneer 6-7-8 even provided updates on our Sun's activity during the early Apollo Moon landings in order to check the damaging potential of solar flares to affect the astronauts.

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

The next pair of Mariner spacecraft were the Mariner VI & VII.
Mariner VI was launched on 25th February and flew by Mars on 31st July 1969.
Mariner VII was launched on 27th March and flew by Mars on 5th August 1969.
Both 413 kg spacecraft ( originally Mariner F & G ) were launched with the more powerful Atlas-Centaur rocket combination which permitted extra weight to the spacecraft. At conception, scientists even suggested an atmospheric entry probe but it was rejected on grounds of time & cost.
However, both spacecraft carried a scan platform underneath the main octagonal magnesium body. Among the instruments were wide-angle + narrow-angle television cameras which permitted for the first time to make far-encounter images which were taken with 37 minutes intervals. When these were played back, scientists could see a turning globe with the poles clearly visible.
Mariner VI made 50 far-encounter images and 25 flyby surface photos.
Mariner VII made 93 far-encounter images and 33 flyby surface photos.
However, interesting features weren’t seen until NASA-JPL launched Mariner IX to go in orbit around the red planet in 1971… that’s for next time!

the other Phil