OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. TELEPHONE 354-5O11 FOR RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 2, 1971
The Mariner 9 spacecraft reached its 95th day of travel since its launch to Mars on May 30, 1971. The arrival date, after 167 days of travel, is November 13.
The spacecraft is 24,497,.000 miles from Earth. It has traveled 151,805,000 miles in solar orbit as it slowly crosses the gap between the solar orbits of Earth and Mars. Current velocity, relative to the Sun, is 59,987 mph.
Basic objective of the mission is 90 days in orbit and mapping of about 70% of the Martian surface with two tele-vision cameras. Other experiments will record atmospheric and surface data.