Mars flyby and rendezvous with the flyby segment transferring the crew over. (see also Mars Excursion Module (MEM)) Alternately, a flyby-only human mission is also possible, without detaching at Mars, but to slingshot around Mars and back to Earth. In July 1965, Mariner 4 achieved a flyby of Mars with a return of data, providing the public and scientists with dramatically closer images of Mars. During the flyby Mariner 4 took 21 pictures amounting to about 1% of the surface of Mars. Mars was not globally mapped until the Mariner 9 orbiter, which over the course of 1972 to 1973 took thousands
Space probe on another planet (Venus) and to transmit data from there back to Earth. Upon its arrival at Mars on November 13, 1971, Mariner 9 became the first space probe to maintain orbit around another planet. First soft landing on Mars (December 2, 1971) The lander began transmitting to the Mars 3 orbiter 90 seconds after landing. After 20 seconds, transmission stopped for unknown reasons. First successful rover on Mars. The Mars Exploration Rovers, "Spirit" and "Opportunity" landed on Mars to explore the Martian surface and geology, and searched for clues to past water activity on Mars. They were each launched