Drawing released in Washington today by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration traces the path of the Mariner II spacecraft which completes its first orbit of the Sun, Aug. 1, after traveling 540 million miles. The spacecraft, launched Aug 27, 1962 performed its fly-by mission of the planet Venus at a distance of 21,648 miles on Dec 14, 1962. Its instruments radioed 111 million bits of information on interplanetary space and Venus before going dead, Jan. 3, 1963. Mariner II is currently 47 million miles from the Earth to which it will never return.
Photo measures 9.25 x 7.5 inches.
Photo is dated 07-31-1963.
Photo back:
