Mariner 10: First Spacecraft to Mercury

Mariner 10 doesn't get talked about much anymore, which is too bad, because it was an amazing little spacecraft.

Launched in 1973, Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to reach Mercury, sending back lots of great data. Getting to Mercury required the first gravitational slingshot maneuver.

On February 5, 1974, Mariner 10 flew past Venus and bent its trajectory to match the perihelion of Mercury. Along the way, it revealed the composition and meteorology of Venus. This was before it even got to its intended target.

Also, doesn't it look like a jumping spider?