[July 15, 2015] The planet Mars has intrigued us since ancient times. It has brought fear and excitement, been a part of religion and science, and energized our imaginations. Some thought that Mars harbored strange beings that would conquer us and for others the prospect of alien life forms was electrifying. For many visionary leaders, Mars was something that we had to see up close for ourselves and the spacecraft Mariner 4 was our first chance to take that look.
It’s hard to pin down when real discussions of life on Mars began in earnest but two astronomers made observations in the late 1800s that helped spur a wave of interest.1 Suspicions that an advanced civilization might exist on the planet began sometime around that time. Later, American businessman Percival Lowell spent years studying Mars with his telescope and made sketches that showed “canals” that were possibly built by human beings. The vision was there early but the knowhow to find out was lacking.
One of the greatest successes and most challenging feats of science in the early American space program was the Mariner 4 journey to Mars – making its closest approach on July 15, 1965 and taking the first photos of another planet from space.2 To do this took a large amount of money and serious, dedicated leadership at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). There were three objectives: 1) conduct experiments to measure the Martian magnetic field, 2) provide close range images of the surface (to detect signs of life), and 3) to provide experience in techniques for future interplanetary missions.3
When it comes to Mars, we still don’t have all the answers. But Mariner 4 taught us some great lessons in science and leadership. It taught us to gather as much of the facts as possible and not to jump to conclusions early. It showed us that with the right leadership, vision, and resources that mankind could achieve something significant.
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page.]
————————-
- http://www.space.com/18787-mariner-4.html
- http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mariner-4/
- http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/mars/mariner.html