Mariner 9
Mariner 9 was a robotic spacecraft that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971 and reached the planet on November 14 of the same year, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. After the occurrence of dust storms on the planet for several months following its arrival, the orbiter managed to send back clear pictures of the surface. Mariner 9 successfully returned 7,329 images over the course of its mission, which concluded in October 1972.
