![]() The Mariner 1 spacecraft was identical to Mariner 2, launched 27 August 1962. This caused the rocket to swing automatically into a series of unnecessary course corrections with erroneous steering commands which finally threw the spacecraft off course. During the periods the airborne beacon was inoperative the computer used the sweep frequency of the ground receiver and combined these data with the incorrect instantaneous guidance computation. Additionally, the Mariner 1 Post Flight Review Board determined that the omission of a superscript overbar when translating the handwritten equations into the coded computer instructions allowed transmission of incorrect guidance signals (basically instantaneous values instead of smoothed values) to the spacecraft when the airborne beacon was inoperative. The airborne beacon used for obtaining rate data was inoperative for four periods ranging from 1.5 to 61 seconds in duration. Improper operation of the Atlas airborne beacon equipment resulted in a loss of the rate signal from the vehicle for a prolonged period. The failure was apparently caused by a combination of two factors. The radio transponder continued to transmit signals for 64 seconds after the destruct command had been sent. The destruct command was sent 6 seconds before separation, after which the launch vehicle could not have been destroyed. Faulty application of the guidance commands made steering impossible and were directing the spacecraft towards a crash, possibly in the North Atlantic shipping lanes or in an inhabited area. The booster had performed satisfactorily until an unscheduled yaw-lift (northeast) maneuver was detected by the range safety officer. The vehicle was destroyed by the Range Safety Officer 293 seconds after launch at 09:26:16 UT when it veered off course. ![]() It was intended to perform a Venus flyby. This was to be the first Mariner mission.
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