INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A model of the Mariner-C spacecraft at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center for a June 1964
Conference on New Technology
Mariner-C and Mariner-D were identical spacecraft designed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to flyby Mars and photograph the Martian surface
The mission ended unsuccessfully two days later
Mariner-D was launched as designed on November 28, 1964 and became the first successful mission to Mars
It was the first time a planet was photographed from space
The two Mariner spacecraft were launched by Atlas-Agena-D rockets
Lewis had taken over management of the Agena Program in October 1962
There had been five failures and two partial failures in the 17 Agena launches before being taken over by NASA Lewis
Lewis, however, oversaw 28 successful Agena missions between 1962 and 1968, including several Rangers and the Mariner Venus '67.Image
