The Explorers' Club, № MXCVIII

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 60th Anniversary of Mariner-Mars 1964, Part III
14-15 July 1965: The Mariner 4 probe flew by Mars, approaching to within 6,118 miles; it was the first Earth probe to return images of another planet from deep space, returning 22 photographs, covering about 1% of the Martian surface; Mariner 4 shattered the science-fiction speculation of Mars as host to abundant life, revealing a thin atmosphere, no liquid water on the surface, & no magnetic field.

Commentary: Mariner 4 continued to transmit data until October 1965, when an imprecise antenna orientation caused a loss of communication for almost two years. Communication was resumed by September 1967, recording multiple micrometeoroid hits; the probe's attitude-control gas supply was exhausted by 7 December & communication terminated on 21 December 1967.

We had to move up by a week the observance of the sixtieth anniversary of Mariner 4's Martian flyby to avoid a conflict with the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Mariner-Mars 1964
"The Explorers' Club," № MLV: The 60th Anniversary of Mariner-Mars 1964, Part I (Mariner 3)
"The Explorers' Club," № MLIX: The 60th Anniversary of Mariner-Mars 1964, Part II (Mariner 4)

Semper exploro.