"By late 1961 we already had fly-by photos which indicated what the surface of Mars and Venus were really like. But the knowledge was not yet so disseminated to the public, and so one could still get away with a story of the older variety... That was it.
In late 1961, photographs indicated the appearance of Mars and Venus. However, this knowledge had not yet reached the general audience, allowing for the continuation of old-style narratives... That was all.