OTD in 1971, Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet — Mars 🔴
I have two spare Mariner 9 solar panels hanging over my desk at work, a reminder of the early days of space exploration. Each panel is 3’ x 7’ long, and four of them contained 14,742 discrete solar cells that produced a total of 800W at Earth and 500W at Mars.
Mariner 9 returned 7,329 images and mapped 85% of the Martian surface, identifying 20 volcanoes, one of which was later named Olympus Mons, the largest discovered in our solar system. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks tectonic plates, and some of its volcanoes have erupted continuously in place for over 2 billion years! (based on analysis of some of my Martian meteorites).
Another major surface feature identified was Valles Marineris, a system of canyons over 2,500 miles long and dipping to a depth greater than 4 miles. It was named in honor of Mariner 9 (last image below).
Mariner 9 recently deorbited somewhere on Mars and “ended one of the great early robotic missions of the space age and undoubtedly one of the most influential.” — NASA
—-panel details—–
Each panel has 22 rows of solar cells, with each row composed of roughly 43 individual cell strips. The panels are mounted to a support structure with wiring and a single power connection port; a cap to one port is stamped "2004 SP 1/3/5/7 J1," and the wiring to the other is stamped: "Solar Panel Harness MM-69, Dwg. No. J10016712, S/N 002." Additionally, the reverse of one structure is stamped: "100000011-1P, SN 013" and "MM69 Solar Panel, Part No. J10016711, Rev. G., S/N 010."
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