 Mariner 3 is identical in design with Mariner 4 | |
| Mission type | Mars flyby |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA / JPL |
| COSPAR ID | 1964-073A |
| SATCAT no. | 923 |
| Mission duration | Launch failure |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 260.8 kilograms (575 lb) |
| Power | 310 watts (at Mars encounter) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 5, 1964, 19:22:05 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas LV-3 Agena-D |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-13 |
| Contractor | Convair |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
Mariner 3 (together with Mariner 4 known as Mariner-Mars 1964) was one of two identical deep-space probes designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA's Mariner-Mars 1964 project that were intended to conduct close-up (flyby) scientific observations of the planet Mars and transmit information on interplanetary space and the space surrounding Mars, televised images of the Martian surface and radio occultation data of spacecraft signals as affected by the Martian atmosphere back to Earth.[1][2]
Although the launch was initially successful, there was a separation issue and Mariner 3 stopped responding when its batteries ran out of power. It was the third of ten spacecraft within the Mariner program.