On Sept. 4, 1962, NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft performed the first-ever rocket maneuver in deep space as it did a quick mid-course correction on its way to Venus. It had launched just eight days ...

Click to open image viewer. This is a 1/24th scale model of Mariner 2, the space probe that on December 14, 1962, radioed back to Earth useful scientific information from another planet, in this case ...

Developed together, the twin Mariner 1 and 2 spacecraft were based on the Ranger lunar probe and planned for a joint mission to our closest neighboring planet. The probes featured seven instruments ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. On Dec. 14, 1962, NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft flew by Venus. ['On This Day in Space' Video Series on Space.com]The Mariner 2 ...

This week marks 60 years since Mariner 2 flew by Venus, making the probe the first successful interplanetary mission. The flyby spacecraft flew within 21,500 miles of the Morning and Evening Star, ...

Fifty years ago Friday, NASA's Mariner 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to the planet Venus, marking the first-ever flyby of another planet. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited ...

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Dr. William H. Pickering, (center) JPL Director, presents the Mariner 2 spacecraft model to President John F. Kennedy, (right). NASA Administrator ...

Solar system exploration is approaching a major turning point just as it is surpassing a major milestone. Fifty years ago, on Aug. 27, 1962, NASA launched the first successful planetary probe, Mariner ...