On this night in science
Off to Mercury, by way of Venus
November 3, 1973
On this day in 1973, a spacecraft called Mariner 10 launched from Florida. It flew past Venus first, using the planet's pull to swing itself onward toward Mercury, the planet closest to the sun.
Why it mattered
It was the first spacecraft ever to use one planet's gravity to reach another, and the first to visit Mercury. Spacecraft have used that trick ever since.
Wonder together
If a planet could give you a gentle push, where would you want it to send you?