Mariner 10 - space craft - help needed (1 Viewer)

[stannystroller1]

Hey peeps,
I need to know what type of space craft Mariner 10 is (satellite I think) and need a diagram showing its orbital path also. help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Riviet]

You're probably right. Try searching google for it.

 

[insert-username]

Mariner 10 was an unmanned space probe (a satellite is a craft that stays in Earth's orbit) that was the first to make use of the "gravitational slingshot" manoeuver. This manoeuver uses a planet's gravity to accelerate the probe's speed without a major use of fuel. It used Venus as its slingshot target, photographing the Vesuvian clouds as it swung past. The slingshot manoeuver alowed to to reach Mercury, which it flew by 3 times, mapping and examining the Mercurian surface before contact with the craft was terminated in 1975.

For an orbital path diagram, check out Google.


I_F

 

[stannystroller1]

Thanks mate, you confirmed something that i just assumed (unmanned space probe). I tried looking on google images, but i found a diagram that looked good but the page had been moved or something.
Thanks again for your contribution.