The full-scale engineering model of NASA's Mariner 6 and 7 spacecraft has long been a favorite of visitors to CU Boulder's (LASP).
Now, members of the media are invited to take part in an event on Tuesday, July 30, celebrating the 50th anniversary of that mission's brush with Mars.
On July 31, 1969, Mariner 6 streamed past the Red Planet, coming to within about 2,100 miles of the planet’s surface. That interplanetary visitor was followed on August 5 by its twin, Mariner 7. Together, the spacecraft were the first scientific instruments to observe Mars' "airglow" and to confirm that the planet's atmosphere was made up largely of carbon dioxide.Ìý
The missions also ushered in CU Boulder’s legacy of space exploration—both spacecraft carried ultraviolet spectrometers designed by what would become LASP.
The anniversary event will kick off on campus at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Mariner 6 and 7 model.
Interviews will be available with LASP planetary scientist Fran Bagenal and, on request, with researchers who worked on the Mariner 6 and 7 missions.Ìý
To attend the event and for additional information, please RSVP to daniel.strain@colorado.edu by Monday, July 29.