Mariner 9 (
Mariner Mars '71 /
Mariner-I) was an unmanned
NASA space probe that contributed greatly to the exploration of
Mars and was part of the
Mariner program. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971 from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and reached the planet on November 14 of the same year, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet – only narrowly beating the
Soviets' Mars 2 and
Mars 3, which both arrived within a month. After months of dust storms it managed to send back clear pictures of the surface.