Mars-3 is a fourth-generation Soviet automatic interplanetary station (AMS) of the Mars space program. One of three AMC series M-71. Mars-3 is designed to explore Mars both from orbit and directly from the planet's surface. The AMS consisted of an orbital station - an artificial satellite of Mars and a descent vehicle with an automatic Martian station.
The world's first soft landing of a descent vehicle on Mars and the only one in Soviet cosmonautics. Data transmission from the automatic Martian station began 1.5 minutes after its landing on the surface of Mars, but stopped after 14.5 seconds.
Specifications:
- AMC weight at start: 4625 kg
- Mass of the orbital station at launch: 3625 kg
- The mass of the descent vehicle at launch: 1000 kg
- Mass of the automatic Martian station: 355 kg (after a soft landing on Mars)
The Mars-3 AMS was developed at the Lavochkin Scientific and Production Association, it consisted of an orbital station - an artificial satellite and a descent vehicle with an automatic Martian station. The layout of the AMS was proposed by the young designer V.A.Asyushkin. The control system, weighing 167 kg and power consumption of 800 watts, was developed and manufactured by the Research Institute of Automation and Instrumentation.
The basis of the orbital station was a cylindrical block of tanks of the main propulsion system. Attached to this unit were solar panels, a highly directional parabolic antenna, radiators for the thermal control system, a descent vehicle and an instrument compartment. The instrument compartment was a toroidal sealed container, which housed the onboard computer complex, navigation and orientation systems, and so on. Astronavigation instruments were attached to the instrument compartment outside.
The descent vehicle was a conical aerodynamic braking screen with a diameter of 3.2 meters and an angle at the apex of 120 degrees, which covered the automatic Mars station (similar in shape to a spherical one). On top of the automatic Martian station, a toroidal instrument-parachute container was attached with tie straps, which contained the pilot and main parachutes, and the instruments necessary to ensure withdrawal, stabilization, de-orbiting, braking and soft landing, and a connecting frame. The frame houses a solid-propellant engine for transferring the descent vehicle from the flyby to the incoming trajectory and the units of the autonomous control system to stabilize the descent vehicle after it is undocked from the orbital station. On board the descent vehicle, a pennant with the image State emblem USSR. Before the flight, the descent vehicle was sterilized.
The automatic Martian station included the ProP-M rover.
The station was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome using a Proton-K launch vehicle with an additional 4th stage - Upper Stage D on May 28, 1971 at 18:26:30 Moscow time. Unlike the AMS of the previous generation, Mars-3 was first launched into an intermediate orbit of an artificial Earth satellite, and then by Upper Stage D transferred to an interplanetary trajectory.
The flight to Mars lasted more than 6 months. On June 8 and November 1971, the trajectory corrections were successfully carried out. Until the moment of approaching Mars, the flight took place according to the program. The arrival of the station to the planet coincided with a large dust storm.
Descent vehicle "Mars-3"
The Mars-3 lander made the world's first soft landing on the surface of Mars on December 2, 1971. Landing begins after the third correction of the interplanetary trajectory of the AMS flight and separation of the descent vehicle from the orbital station. Before the separation, the Mars-3 station was oriented so that the descent vehicle after separation could move in the required direction. The separation took place at 12 hours 14 minutes Moscow time on December 2, 1971, when the AMS flew up to the planet, before the deceleration of the orbital station and its transition to the orbit of the satellite of Mars. After 15 minutes, the solid-propellant engine was triggered to transfer the descent vehicle from the flyby trajectory to the trajectory of the meeting with Mars. Having received an additional speed equal to 120 m / s (432 km / h), the descent vehicle headed to the calculated point of entry into the atmosphere. Then the control system, located on the farm, turned the descent vehicle with a conical brake screen forward in the direction of travel to ensure a correctly oriented entry into the planet's atmosphere. To maintain the descent vehicle in this orientation during the flight to the planet, gyroscopic stabilization was carried out. The spinning of the apparatus along the longitudinal axis was carried out using two small solid propellant engines installed on the periphery of the brake screen. The farm with the control system and translation engine, now no longer needed, was separated from the lander. The flight from separation to reentry lasted about 4.5 hours. On command from the program-time device, two other solid-propellant engines, also located on the periphery of the brake screen, were turned on, after which the rotation of the descent vehicle stopped. At 4:44 pm, the descent vehicle entered the atmosphere at an angle close to the design one with a speed of about 5.8 km / s and aerodynamic deceleration began. At the end of the aerodynamic braking section, while still at supersonic flight speed, at the command of the overload sensor, a pilot chute was introduced using a powder engine located on the cover of the pilot chute compartment. After 1.5 seconds, the torus parachute compartment was cut with the help of an elongated charge, and the upper part of the compartment (cover) was taken away from the descent vehicle by an exhaust parachute. The cover, in turn, introduced the main parachute with a reefed canopy. The main parachute slings were attached to a bundle of solid-propellant engines, which were already attached directly to the descent vehicle. When the device slowed down to transonic speed, then, on a signal from the program-time device, a re-routing was carried out - full opening of the canopy of the main parachute. After 1-2 seconds, the aerodynamic cone was dropped and the radio altimeter antennas of the soft landing system opened. During the descent by parachute for several minutes, the speed of movement decreased to about 60 m / s (216 km / h). At an altitude of 20-30 meters, at the command of the radio altimeter, a soft landing brake motor was turned on. The parachute at this time was diverted to the side by another rocket engine so that its dome would not cover the automatic Martian station. After some time, the soft-landing engine turned off, and the descent vehicle, having separated from the parachute container, sank to the surface. At the same time, the parachute container with a soft-landing engine was moved to the side using low-thrust engines. At the time of landing, a thick foam cover protected the station from shock loading. The landing took place between the regions of Elektrida and Phaetontia. The coordinates of the landing point are 45 ° S. sh. 158 ° W (I) on the flat bottom of the large Ptolemy crater, west of the Reutov crater, and between the small craters Belyov and Tyuratam.
A soft landing on Mars is a complex scientific and technical task. During the development of the Mars-3 station, the relief of the surface of Mars was poorly studied, and there was very little information about the soil. In addition, the atmosphere is very thin, strong winds are possible. The design of the aerodynamic cone, parachutes, and the soft-landing engine were selected taking into account operation in a wide range of possible descent conditions and the characteristics of the Martian atmosphere, and their weight is minimal.
Within 1.5 minutes after landing, the automatic Martian station was preparing for work, and then began transmitting a panorama of the surrounding surface, but after 14.5 seconds the broadcast stopped. AMC transmitted only the first 79 lines of the phototelevision signal (right edge of the panorama). The resulting image was a gray background with no detail. The same thing happened with the second telephotometer - a one-line optical-mechanical scanner. Subsequently, several hypotheses were put forward about what caused the sudden termination of the signal from the surface: they suggested a corona discharge in the transmitter antennas, damage to the battery, etc.
In modern times, after refined calculations, a version has been put forward that the reason for the signal loss was the departure of the orbital station from the visibility zone of the descent vehicle's antenna.
The orbital station, after separating the descent vehicle, performed deceleration on December 2, 1971, and entered the undesignated orbit of an artificial Mars satellite with an orbital period of 12 days 16 hours 3 minutes (an orbit with an orbital period of 25 hours was planned. The discrepancy between the actual and planned orbital periods can be explained by a lack of time did not allow to properly test software automatic navigation systems).
Landing sites of automatic stations on Mars
For more than 8 months, the orbital station carried out a comprehensive Mars exploration program, having completed 20 orbits around the planet. AMS continued research until the nitrogen depletion in the attitude control and stabilization system. TASS announced the completion of the Mars exploration program on August 23, 1972. Within four months, infrared radiometry, photometry, measurements of the composition of the atmosphere, magnetic field and plasma.
The developers of the photo television set (FTU) used the wrong model of Mars, which is why the wrong exposures of the FTU were chosen. The pictures were overexposed, almost completely unusable. After several series of photographs (each with 12 frames), the photo-television set was not used.
Image transmitted from the surface of Mars by the automated Mars station in 14.5 seconds
As part of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter flight program, attempts were made to find the landing site of the Mars-3 apparatus, along with the search for other Martian unmanned stations launched by mankind in the 20th century. For a long time, the station could not be found in the estimated landing coordinates. In 2012-2013, astronautics enthusiasts led by the famous blogger and popularizer of space research Vitaly Egorov (Zelenyikot) analyzed a high-resolution image of the proposed landing zone of the station, which was taken in 2007 by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite. As a result, objects were identified that are supposedly elements of the Mars-3 descent vehicle. The images identified an automatic Mars station, a parachute, a soft landing engine and an aerodynamic braking screen. In their search, they were assisted by specialists from NASA, GEOKHI, RKS, NPO them. Lavochkin.
Postage stamp of the USSR. 1972. Descent vehicle of the Mars-3 station
Used sources:
1. Mars-3 [Electronic resource] .- 2016 - Access mode: http://ru.wikipedia.org
2. Mars-3 [Electronic resource] .- 2016 - Access mode: http://rusplt.ru
3. Mars-3 [Electronic resource] .- 2016 - Access mode:
After the launch of the first satellite of the USSR, without wasting time, he took up the study of space. The plans were grandiose - already in 1960, unmanned space probes of the 1M series, named Mars-60A and 60B, were supposed to go to Mars. Abroad, these devices are known under the name "Marsnik" ("Mars" + "sputnik"), since it was planned to enter the orbit of the red planet, moreover, it was planned to search for traces existence of life on Mars... The plans of the expedition were to study the ionosphere and magnetosphere of Mars, photograph its surface and explore the space separating the Earth and Mars. Unfortunately, due to launch accidents, these plans were not implemented.
Series 2МВ
Continuation of the Soviet mars exploration by spacecraft became the series "WW2" ("Mars-1", "62A", "62B"). It was planned to land on the surface of Mars Mars-62A 2МВ-3, the Mars-62B 2МВ-4 spacecraft was supposed to fly around the red planet. But they were not launched into low-earth orbit due to the crash of the launch vehicles.
Another fate awaited the Mars-1 2MV-4 AMS. The launch from the ground was successful, but due to problems with the stabilization system, the device lost control. The last communication session with the station took place on March 21, 1963, at a distance of approximately 106 million kilometers from the Earth, which for that time was a record for the space communication range.
- | Mars-1 spacecraft during testing on Earth
- The most powerful radio-technical complex for long-range space communications until 1964
AMS "M-64" belonged to the improved second generation of the project. The start took place on October 30, 1964. Due to a failure in the power supply system, it was officially ranked among the spacecraft of the Zond series, which were designed to master the technology of long-range flights in space and space exploration.
Series M-69
The third generation of Martian explorers were the devices of the series ("Mars-69A" and "69B"). The stations had to explore fourth planet Solar system while in Martian orbit. Both vehicles were lost at launch due to accidents with the Proton launch vehicles.
Series M-71
The M-71 series belonged to the fourth generation devices. It consisted of three AMS, which were supposed to survey Mars both from orbit and from the surface of the planet. AMS "Mars-2" and "Mars-3" consisted of an orbiting satellite and a ground station, which was supposed to make a soft landing using a descent vehicle.
- Automatic interplanetary station "Mars 2"
- A photograph of Mars taken from the Mars-3 orbital module on February 28, 1972
The Mars station was equipped with the first ever Mars rover "PrOP-M". They were distinguished from other rovers by their movement system. The vehicles were moved over the surface with the help of two "skis" located on the sides and slightly raising the apparatus. This method of travel was chosen due to the lack of information about the Martian surface. The rover was supposed to receive commands from the AMS through the cable connecting it to the station.
- Mars rover ProP-M (Passage Estimator)
The Mars-2 and Mars-3 satellites were launched on May 19 and 28, 1971 from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the orbiters operated for more than eight months and successfully completed most of the research envisaged. The landing of the Mars-2 spacecraft ended in failure, and the Mars-3 made a soft landing and got in touch, but the radio signal transmission lasted only 14.5 seconds.
AMS "M-71C" was not equipped with a descent vehicle and was supposed to become an artificial satellite of Mars. The launch vehicle "Proton-K" took place on May 10, 1971, the AMS was launched into orbit of an artificial Earth satellite. But the device did not switch to the flight trajectory, which was caused by an error in the programming of the on-board computer. As a result, two days after the launch, on May 12, 1971, the AMC / booster unit entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned out. In a TASS report, the project appeared as the Kosmos 419 satellite.
Series M-73
The M-73 series vehicles continued their research, namely four AMS, which were supposed to study Mars both from orbit and while on the planet's surface.
The spacecraft "Mars-4" and "Mars-5" were supposed to become artificial satellites of Mars and provide communication with ground-based modules carried by the spacecraft "Mars-6" and "Mars-7".
Due to a malfunction in one of the onboard systems, Mars-4 flew past Mars and continued to move in a heliocentric orbit.
The Mars-5 AMS, unlike its twin Mars-4, successfully entered the Martian orbit, but due to the depressurization of the instrument compartment, the station operated for only about two weeks.
AMS "Mars-6" reached Mars, but completed the research program only partially, the descent vehicle crashed while landing in the Eritrean Sea region in the southern hemisphere of Mars, having managed to transmit some data about composition of the atmosphere of Mars, its temperature and pressure.
The Mars-7 spacecraft also reached Mars, but due to the malfunctioning of one of the onboard systems, the descent vehicle missed and flew past Mars at a distance of about 1400 km. As a result, the Mars-7 flight program was not implemented.
- Automatic interplanetary station "Mars-4" M-73S No. 52
- Automatic interplanetary station M-73P No. 50
On August 6, 2012, the Curiosity rover after an eight-month flight in the Gale Crater on Mars, NASA reports.
October 10, 1960 in the USSR, a launch vehicle Molniya 8K78 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, which was supposed to put the Soviet automatic interplanetary station (AMS) Mars (1960A) on a flight path to Mars. This was the first attempt in human history to reach the surface of Mars. Due to an accident of the launch vehicle (LV), the launch ended in failure.
October 14, 1960 in the USSR, from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Molniya 8K78 launch vehicle was launched, which was supposed to bring the Soviet Mars AMS (1960V) to the flight path to Mars. The flight program provided for the station's reaching the surface of Mars. Because of the LV accident, the launch ended in failure.
October 24, 1962 in the USSR, the launch vehicle Molniya 8K78 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, which launched the Soviet Mars-1S (Sputnik-22) AMS into near-earth orbit.
The launch of the station towards Mars did not take place due to the explosion of the last stage of the launch vehicle.
November 1, 1962 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Molniya 8K78 launch vehicle was launched, which brought the Soviet Mars-1 spacecraft into the flight path to Mars. First successful launch towards Mars. The Mars-1 AMS approached Mars on June 19, 1963 (about 197 thousand kilometers from Mars, according to ballistic calculations), after which the station entered the trajectory around the Sun. Communication with AMC was lost.
November 4, 1962 in the USSR, the launch vehicle Molniya 8K78 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, which launched the Soviet Mars-2A (Sputnik-24) spacecraft into near-earth orbit. The start of the station towards Mars did not take place.
On November 5, 1962, the Mars-2A satellite ceased to exist, entering the dense layers of the atmosphere.
November 5, 1964 In the USA, the Atlas Agena-D launch vehicle was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Mariner-3 on its flight path to Mars. The station was put on an off-design trajectory and did not hit the Mars region. Mariner-3 is in solar orbit.
November 28, 1964 In the USA, the Atlas Agena-D launch vehicle was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Mariner-4 on a flight path to Mars. The station was designed to explore Mars from a flyby trajectory.
July 14, 1965 the Mariner-4 station flew near Mars, passing at a distance of 9920 kilometers from its surface. The device transmitted 22 close-ups of the surface of Mars, and also confirmed the assumption that the thin atmosphere of Mars consists of carbon dioxide, with a pressure of 5-10 millibars. The planet was found to have a weak magnetic field. The station continued to operate until the end of 1967. Mariner 4 is now in solar orbit.
November 30, 1964 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Molniya 8K78 launch vehicle was launched, which brought the Soviet probe 2 probe into the flight path to Mars. Contact with the station was lost on May 4-5, 1965.
March 27, 1969 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, a Proton-K / D launch vehicle (LV) was launched, which was supposed to put the Mars AMS on a flight path to Mars. Because of the LV accident, the launch ended in failure.
February 24, 1969 In the USA from the Cape Canaveral launch site, the Atlas SLV ‑ 3C Centaur ‑ D launch vehicle was launched, which put the automatic interplanetary station Mariner ‑ 6 on a flight path to Mars. July 31, 1969 Station Mariner-6 flew at an altitude of 3437 kilometers over the equatorial region of Mars. Mariner-6 is now in solar orbit.
March 27, 1969 in the USA, the Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D launch vehicle was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Mariner-7 on its flight path to Mars. On August 5, 1969, the Mariner-7 station flew at an altitude of 3551 kilometers over the south pole of Mars.
Mariner-6 and Mariner-7 made measurements of surface and atmospheric temperature, analysis of surface molecular composition and atmospheric pressure. In addition, about 200 images were taken. The temperature of the south polar cap was measured, which turned out to be very low -125 ° C. Now Mariner-7 is in solar orbit.
March 27, 1969 during the launch of the Soviet Mars 1969A spacecraft, an accident occurred in the area of \u200b\u200blaunching into a near-earth orbit.
April 2, 1969 during the launch of the Soviet Mars 1969V spacecraft, an accident occurred in the area of \u200b\u200blaunching into a near-earth orbit.
May 8, 1971 In the USA, the Atlas SLC-3C Centaur-D launch vehicle was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which was supposed to put the American Mariner-8 on the flight path to Mars. The spacecraft could not leave the earth's orbit. Due to a malfunction in the second stage of the launch vehicle, the apparatus fell into Atlantic Ocean approximately 900 miles from Cape Canaveral.
May 10, 1971 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Proton-K booster rocket with the D upper stage was launched, which injected the Kosmos-419 satellite into near-earth orbit, but the spacecraft did not switch to the flight path to Mars. On May 12, 1971, the device entered the dense layers of the earth's atmosphere and burned up.
May 19, 1971 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the "Proton-K" booster rocket with the "D" upper stage was launched, which put the Soviet Mars-2 spacecraft on a flight path to Mars. However, on final stage flight due to a software error, the onboard computer of the descent vehicle malfunctioned, as a result of which the angle of its entry into the Martian atmosphere turned out to be greater than the calculated one, and November 27, 1971 it crashed on the surface of Mars. The pennant of the USSR was attached to the apparatus.
May 28, 1971 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Proton-K booster rocket with the D upper stage was launched, which brought the Soviet Mars-3 spacecraft into the flight path to Mars. On December 2, 1971, the Mars-3 descent vehicle made a soft landing on the surface of Mars. After landing, the station was brought to working condition and began transmitting a video signal to Earth. The transmission lasted 20 seconds and stopped abruptly. The orbiting spacecraft transmitted data to Earth until August 1972.
May 30, 1971 In the USA, the Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D launch vehicle was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Mariner-9 on a flight path to Mars. The spacecraft (SC) arrived at Mars on November 3, 1971 and entered orbit on November 24, 1971. The spacecraft made the first high-resolution images of the satellites Phobos and Deimos. On the surface of the planet, relief formations were discovered that resemble rivers and canals. Mariner-9 is still in Mars orbit. from November 13, 1971 to October 27, 1972 transmitted 7329 pictures.
July 21, 1973 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the "Proton-K" booster rocket with the "D" upper stage was launched, which put the Soviet Mars-4 spacecraft on a flight path to Mars. February 10, 1974 the station approached Mars, but the corrective propulsion system did not turn on. Therefore, the device flew at an altitude of 1844 kilometers above the average radius of Mars (5238 kilometers from the center). The only thing he managed to do was, on command from the Earth, to turn on his photo-television installation with a short-focus Vega-3MSA lens. One 12-frame survey cycle of Mars was carried out at ranges of 1900-2100 kilometers. One-line optical-mechanical scanners also transmitted two panoramas of the planet (in orange and red-infrared ranges). The station, passing by the planet, entered a heliocentric orbit.
July 25, 1973in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, a Proton-K booster rocket with a D upper stage was launched, which put the Soviet Mars-5 spacecraft on a flight path to Mars. February 12, 1974 Mars-5 was launched into orbit around Mars. The station transmitted photo-television images of Mars with a resolution of up to 100 meters, carried out a series of studies of the planet's surface and atmosphere. In total, 15 normal images were obtained from the Mars-5 station using a photo-television device (FTU) with a short-focus Vega-3MSA lens and 28 images using a FTU with a long-focus Zufar-2SA lens. I managed to get 5 TV panoramas. The last communication session with the AMC, in which the TV panorama of Mars was broadcast, took place on February 28, 1974.
August 5, 1973 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Proton-K booster rocket with the D upper stage was launched, which put the Mars-6 AMS on the flight path to Mars. |
March 12, 1974 The Mars-6 station flew past the planet Mars, having passed at a distance of 1600 kilometers from the surface of the planet. Immediately before the flight, the descent vehicle was separated from the station, which entered the planet's atmosphere and at an altitude of about 20 kilometers a parachute system was put into operation. In the immediate vicinity of the surface of the planet Mars, radio communication with the descent vehicle ceased. The lander reached the planet's surface at a point with coordinates 24 degrees south latitude and 25 degrees west longitude.
Information from the descent vehicle during its descent was received by the Mars-6 spacecraft, which continued to move in a heliocentric orbit with a minimum distance from the surface of Mars - 1600 kilometers, and was relayed to Earth.
August 9, 1973 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, a Proton-K booster rocket with a D upper stage was launched, which put the Soviet Mars-7 spacecraft on a flight path to Mars.
March 9, 1974 (earlier than Mars-6) the Mars-7 station flew past the planet Mars, having passed at a distance of 1300 kilometers from its surface. On approaching the planet, the descent vehicle separated from the station. The flight program included a landing on the surface of Mars. Due to a malfunction in one of the onboard systems, the descent vehicle passed the planet and entered a heliocentric orbit. The target was not completed by the station.
The project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NACA, USA) 1975 - "Viking-1" (Viking-1) and "Viking-2" (Viking-2) - included a launch with a difference of two weeks aircraftconsisting of an orbital and landing modules. For the first time in the history of American astronautics, they reached Mars and landed on its surface.
August 20, 1975 The launch vehicle Titan-3E was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which launched the American Viking-1 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft entered the orbit of Mars June 19, 1976... The lander landed on Mars July 20, 1976... It was turned off on July 25, 1978, when the orbital module's altitude correction fuel ran out.
September 9, 1975the launch vehicle Titan-3E-Centaur was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Viking-2 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on July 24, 1976. The descent vehicle landed August 7, 1976 on the Plain of Utopia.
July 7, 1988 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Proton 8K82K booster rocket with the D2 upper stage was launched, which brought the Soviet Phobos-1 spacecraft to Mars on a flight path to explore the Mars satellite Phobos. On September 2, 1988, Phobos-1 was lost en route to Mars as a result of an erroneous command.
July 12, 1988 in the USSR from the Baikonur cosmodrome, a Proton 8K82K booster rocket with a D2 upper stage was launched, which brought the Soviet AIS Phobos-2 onto a flight path to Mars. The main task is the delivery of descent vehicles (SCA) to the surface of Phobos to study the satellite of Mars.
Phobos-2 entered Mars orbit on January 30, 1989. 38 images of Phobos were obtained with a resolution of up to 40 meters, the surface temperature of Phobos was measured. Communication with the device was lost on March 27, 1989. SKA could not be delivered.
September 25, 1992 In the United States, the launch vehicle Titan-3 was launched from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome, which put the American Mars Observer on a flight trajectory to Mars with the USS Thomas O. Paine module, intended for scientific observations during a four-year stay in Mars orbit. Contact with the Mars Observer was lost on August 21, 1993, when it had only three days to go into orbit. The exact cause is not known, presumably the spacecraft exploded during the pressure increase in the fuel tanks in preparation for entering orbit.
November 7, 1996 in the USA from the Cape Canaveral cosmodrome the launch vehicle Delta ‑ 2‑7925A / Star ‑ 48B was launched, which put the American research station Mars Global Surveyor into a near-Mars orbit. The spacecraft was designed to collect information about the nature of the Mars surface, its geometry, composition, gravity, atmospheric dynamics and magnetic field.
December 4, 1996 In the USA, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft was launched under the NASA Mars Exploration Program with the Delta-2 launch vehicle. In addition to scientific equipment and communication systems, there was a small rover Sojourner on board the descent module.
November 8, 2011 with the help of the Zenit-2 SB launch vehicle, the Russian AMS Phobos-Grunt was launched, designed to deliver soil samples from natural satellite Mars, Phobos, to Earth. As a result of an abnormal situation, it was unable to leave the vicinity of the Earth, remaining in low Earth orbit. January 15, 2012 burned down in the dense layers of the earth's atmosphere.
November 26, 2011 the Atlas V launch vehicle launched the Curiosity research rover (USA), a key link in the Mars Science Laboratory. The device will have to go from 5 to 20 kilometers in a few months and conduct a full analysis of Martian soils and atmospheric components.
It is planned that the Curiosity rover will live on the surface of the planet for one Martian year - 687 Earth days or 669 Martian days.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
", And the M-71C that entered the near-earth orbit received the open name" Cosmos-419 ".
AMS of the first and second generation were developed at OKB-1. AMC of the third and fourth generations were developed at NPO. Lavochkin.
The launches of the first and second generation AMS were carried out by a 4-stage medium-class launch vehicle "Molniya". The launches of the third and fourth generation AMS were carried out by a heavy-class carrier rocket "Proton-K" with an additional 4th stage - the upper stage D.
A radio-technical complex for long-range space communications was built specially for the spacecraft launches to Mars. The flight trajectory of the station was also monitored by the telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory with a diameter of 2.6 m.
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Subtitles
KA series
First generation spacecraft:
- M-60 (Mars 1960A, Mars 1960B) - Project 1M flyby stations. Two launches in 1960 were unsuccessful due to launch vehicle crashes.
Second generation spacecraft:
- M-62 ("Mars-1", "Mars 1962A", "Mars 1962B" - stations of the project of unified Martian-Venusian AMS WW2. The landing "Mars-62A" 2МВ-3 and the first flyby "Mars-62B" 2МВ-4 are not were put on interplanetary trajectories due to accidents of carrier rockets The second flyby of the 2MV-4 Mars-1 was launched to Mars on November 1, 1962, but in the first days of the spacecraft's flight along the interplanetary trajectory, the orientation system failed after a gas leak.
- M-64 ("Probe-2") is a flyby station of the project of unified Martian-Venusian AMS 3MV (improved second generation). AMC launched to Mars on October 30, 1964. However, due to the incomplete opening of the solar panels, a reduced level of power supply was recorded, approximately half the expected level. The station could not carry out exploration of Mars and was named "Probe-2".
Spacecraft of the third generation:
- M-69 ("Mars 1969A", "Mars 1969B") - The M-69 series consisted of two heavy AMS. The stations are intended for exploration of Mars from the orbit of an artificial satellite (ISM). The first multi-ton interplanetary stations in the USSR and the world. Both AMCs were not launched into interplanetary trajectories in 1969 due to accidents with Proton launch vehicles.
Fourth generation spacecraft:
- M-71 - The M-71 series consisted of three AMS designed to study Mars both from the ISM orbit and directly on the planet's surface. For this, the Mars-2 and Mars-3 AMS had both an artificial satellite - an orbiter (OA) and an automatic Mars station, which soft landing on the planet's surface was carried out by a descent vehicle (SA). The unmanned Mars station was equipped with the world's first Mars rover PrOP-M. AMC M-71C did not have a descent vehicle, it was supposed to become an artificial satellite of Mars. AMS M-71S was not launched into the interplanetary trajectory and was officially referred to as the satellite "Cosmos-419". Mars-2, Mars-3 were launched on May 19 and 28, 1971. The Mars-2 and Mars-3 orbiters operated for more than eight months and successfully completed most of the flight program for artificial satellites of Mars (except for photography). The soft landing of the Mars-2 descent vehicle ended unsuccessfully, the Mars-3 descent vehicle made a soft landing, but the transmission from the automatic Martian station stopped after 14.5 seconds.
In principle, the design of the M-73 series did not differ from the M-71 series. Modernization of individual units and devices has been carried out.
- M-73 - The M-73 series consisted of four AMS designed to study Mars both from the ISM orbit and directly from the planet's surface. In 1973, the speed required to put the AMS on an interplanetary trajectory increased. Therefore, the carrier rocket "Proton" could not put the AMS consisting of an orbital station - an artificial satellite of Mars and a descent vehicle with an automatic Martian station on the trajectory necessary to approach Mars, as was possible in 1971. Spacecraft "Mars-4" and "Mars -5 "(modification М-73С), were supposed to enter orbit around Mars and provide communication with automatic Martian stations carried by the AMS" Mars-6 "and" Mars-7 "(modification М-73P). Launched on July 21, 25 and August 5.9, 1973. "Mars-4" - exploration of Mars from a flyby trajectory (failure, it was planned to launch a satellite of Mars). Mars-5 is an artificial satellite of Mars (partial luck, the satellite's operating time is about two weeks). "Mars-6" - a flyby of Mars and a soft landing of an automatic Martian station (failure, in the immediate vicinity of the surface of Mars, communication is lost), the first direct measurements of the composition of the atmosphere, pressure and temperature during the descent vehicle descending on a parachute. "Mars-7" - flyby of Mars and soft landing of the automatic Martian station (failure, the descent vehicle flew past Mars).
Technical tasks and scientific results
"Mars-1"
Technical challenges
Since for its time the Mars project was the first in history a project of such a scale as the exploration of interplanetary spaces in the Earth-Mars region, a number of technical questions arose before it - what power and type of engines and launch vehicles would be needed to launch into Earth's orbit the necessary payload, how radio communication will behave at long distances, what problems electronics will face in the conditions of space radiation of interplanetary space in the Earth-Mars region, and many others. other.
Based on the ballistic data, it can be assumed that on June 19, 1963, the uncontrolled Mars-1 made its first flight at a distance of about 200 thousand km from Mars and continued its flight around the Sun.
Scientific results
Due to the failure of the orientation system, "Mars-1" was unable to carry out a scientific study of Mars and near-Martian space from a flyby trajectory.
Nevertheless, the tasks of the first "Mars" included not only a flyby near Mars and the direct study of the planet, but also the study of the properties of the interplanetary space between Earth and Mars where physical conditions were not yet known.
The Mars-1 flight program was partially completed; on March 21, 1963, radio contact with the AMC was lost. At that moment, "Mars-1" covered half the way and was more than one hundred million kilometers from the Earth, but managed to transmit important information about interplanetary space to great distance from our planet. With the help of "Mars-1", data were obtained for the first time on the physical properties of space between the orbits of the Earth and Mars: on the intensity of cosmic radiation, the strength of the magnetic fields of the Earth and the interplanetary medium, on the streams of ionized gas coming from the Sun, and on the distribution of meteoric matter ( the spacecraft crossed 2 meteor showers).
"Mars-2", "Mars-3"
Spacecraft of the fourth generation (series M-71 - "Mars-2" / "Mars-3"). AMC duplicated each other. Each AMS consisted of an orbiter (OA), a descent vehicle (SA), and the PROP-M rovers.
Technical challenges
The main technical task of the Mars-2 and Mars-3 missions was to deliver automatic Martian stations and rovers to orbit and the surface of Mars, as well as to further implement coordinated work between them. Among other things, the tasks of Mars-2 included delivery to the surface of Mars of a capsule containing a pennant with the image of the State Emblem of the USSR.
The descent vehicles and rovers of the Soviet AMS of the Mars program did not cope with the assigned tasks, while the orbiters completed all the main technical programs assigned to them. Due to the failures of the descent vehicles, the main technical problem of the entire Mars program - the creation of a working scientific automatic complex on Mars - was not solved.
"Mars-2"
Orbiter AMS "Mars-2". He successfully completed all the main stages of his program and spent more than 8 months researching Mars from orbit, up to the depletion of nitrogen in the orientation and stabilization system (August 23, 1972). When approaching Mars, the descent vehicle was separated from Mars-2, which delivered a pennant with the image of the State Emblem of the USSR to the planet's surface.
Descent vehicle AMS "Mars-2". It was sent to the surface of the planet in November 1971. When landing on November 27, 1971, the device crashed, becoming the first man-made object delivered to Mars.
Mars rover AMS "Mars-2" "PrOP-M". It was lost due to an accident while landing the descent vehicle.
"Mars-3"
Orbiter AMS "Mars-3". He successfully completed all the main stages of his program and spent more than 8 months researching Mars from orbit, up to the depletion of nitrogen in the orientation and stabilization system (August 23, 1972).
Descent vehicle AMS "Mars-3". It was sent to the surface of the planet in December 1971. On December 2, 1971, the first ever successful soft landing on the surface of Mars was made. Shortly after landing, the station began transmitting a panorama of the surrounding surface, but the resulting part of the panorama was a gray background without a single detail. After 14.5 seconds, the signal disappeared. (According to the memoirs of Academician M. Ya. Marov, the signal disappeared after 20 seconds).
Mars rover AMS "Mars-3" "PrOP-M". It was lost due to the loss of communication with the descent vehicle.
Scientific results
Scientific instrumentation
On board the orbiters "Mars-2" and "Mars-3" there was scientific equipment intended for measurements in interplanetary space, as well as for studying the vicinity of Mars and the planet itself from the orbit of an artificial satellite:
Scientific measurements, research and experiments
The orbital stations Mars-2 and Mars-3 have been carrying out a comprehensive program for orbital research of Mars for more than 8 months. The following measurements and results were carried out and obtained:
Photos
The developers of the Photo Television Installation (FTU) used the wrong model for lighting Mars. Therefore, the wrong shutter speeds were chosen. The pictures were overexposed, almost completely unusable. After several series of photographs (each with 12 frames), the photo-television set was not used.
"Mars-4", "Mars-5", "Mars-6", "Mars-7"
The study of Mars in 1973-1974, when four Soviet spacecraft "Mars-4", "Mars-5", "Mars-6", "Mars-7" almost simultaneously reached the vicinity of the planet, acquired a new quality. Flight purpose: definition physical characteristics soil, surface rock properties, experimental verification of the possibility of obtaining television images, etc.
Scientific research carried out by the spacecraft "Mars-4", "Mars-5", "Mars-6", "Mars-7" is versatile and extensive. The Mars-4 spacecraft carried out photographing of Mars from the flyby trajectory. "Mars-5" - an artificial satellite of Mars "Mars-5 transmitted new information about this planet and the surrounding space, made high-quality photographs of the Martian surface, including color. The Mars-6 descent vehicle landed on the planet, transmitting for the first time data on the parameters of the Martian atmosphere obtained during the descent. Spacecraft "Mars-6" and "Mars-7" explored space from a heliocentric orbit. Mars-7 in September-November 1973 recorded a relationship between the increase in the flux of protons and the speed of the solar wind. In photographs of the surface of Mars, which are of very high quality, details up to 100 m in size can be discerned. This makes photography one of the main means of studying the planet. Since the photographing was carried out using color filters, color images of a number of surface areas were obtained by synthesis. Color images are also of high quality and are suitable for areological-morphological and photometric studies.
Using a two-channel ultraviolet photometer with a high spatial resolution, photometric profiles of the atmosphere near the planet's limb were obtained in the spectral region 2600-2800 A inaccessible for ground-based observations. -7 "," Mariner-9 "on ozone referred to the solid surface of the polar cap), as well as noticeable aerosol absorption even in the absence of dust storms. Using these data, the characteristics of the aerosol layer can be calculated. Measurements of the atmospheric ozone content make it possible to estimate the concentration of atomic oxygen in the lower atmosphere and the rate of its vertical transport from the upper atmosphere, which is important for choosing a model explaining the stability of the carbon dioxide atmosphere on Mars. The results of measurements on the illuminated disk of the planet can be used to study its relief. The studies of the magnetic field in the near-Martian space carried out by the Mars-5 spacecraft confirmed the conclusion drawn on the basis of similar studies by the Mars-2 and Mars-3 spacecraft that there is a magnetic field of about 30 gamma near the planet (in 7 -10 times the magnitude of the interplanetary unperturbed field carried solar wind). It was assumed that this magnetic field belongs to the planet itself, and "Mars-5" helped to obtain additional arguments in favor of this hypothesis. Preliminary processing of data from the Mars-7 spacecraft on the radiation intensity in the Lyman-alpha resonance line of atomic hydrogen made it possible to estimate the profile of this line in interplanetary space and to determine two components in it, each of which makes approximately equal contributions to the total radiation intensity. The information obtained will make it possible to calculate the speed, temperature and density of interstellar hydrogen flowing into the solar system, as well as highlight the contribution of galactic radiation to the Lyman-alpha lines. This experiment was carried out in collaboration with French scientists. For the first time, the temperature of atomic hydrogen in the upper atmosphere of Mars has been directly measured using similar measurements from the Mars-5 spacecraft. Preliminary processing of the data showed that this temperature is close to 350 ° K.
The Mars-6 descent vehicle took measurements chemical composition the Martian atmosphere using a radio-frequency mass spectrometer. Soon after the opening of the main parachute, the analyzer opening mechanism worked, and the atmosphere of Mars gained access to the device. The mass spectra themselves were supposed to be transmitted after landing and were not obtained on Earth, however, when analyzing the parameter, the current of the magneto-ionization pump of the mass spectrograph transmitted via the telemetric channel during the parachute descent, it was assumed that the argon content in the planet's atmosphere could be from 25% up to 45%. (According to updated data, the share of argon in the atmosphere of Mars is 1.6%). The argon content is of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of the atmosphere of Mars.
The descent vehicle was also used to measure pressure and ambient temperature. The results of these measurements are very important both for expanding knowledge about the planet and for identifying the conditions in which future Martian stations should operate.
Together with French scientists, a radio astronomy experiment was also carried out - measurements of radio emission from the Sun in the meter range. Reception of radiation simultaneously on the Earth and on board a spacecraft removed from our planet by hundreds of millions of kilometers makes it possible to reconstruct the volumetric picture of the process of radio wave generation and obtain data on the flows of charged particles responsible for these processes. In this experiment, another problem was also solved - the search for short-term bursts of radio emission, which can, as it is assumed, arise in distant space due to explosive phenomena in the nuclei of galaxies, during supernova explosions and other processes.
- Unlike the automatic interplanetary stations of the "Mariner" series, the body of the Soviet automatic interplanetary stations Mars is hermetically sealed.
- In contrast to the Soviet automatic interplanetary stations Mars, the automatic interplanetary stations "Mariner-6" - "Mariner-10" used a large number of integrated circuits.
Soviet and Russian spacecraft for Mars exploration
Unrealized projects
- "Mars-4NM" is an unrealized project of a heavy rover, which was supposed to be launched by a super-heavy carrier rocket N-1, which was not put into operation.
- Mars-5NM is an unrealized project of the AMS for delivering soil from Mars, which was to be launched by one launch of the N-1 LV. The 4HM and 5HM projects were developed in 1970 with the aim of being implemented around 1975.
- "Mars-79" ("Mars-5M") is an unrealized project of the AMS for delivering soil from Mars, the orbital and landing modules of which were to be launched separately on the "Proton" launch vehicle and docked at the Earth for flight to Mars. The project was developed in 1977 with the aim of implementation in 1979.
Partially successful launches
- "Phobos" - two AMS for the exploration of Mars and Phobos in 1989, a new unified project, of which, due to failures, one got out of control on the way to the planet, and the second completed only part of the Martian program and partially completed the phobos one.
- Phobos-Grunt 2 is a repeated, slightly modified AMC mission to deliver soil from Phobos, scheduled to be launched by 2021.
- "Mars-no" / MetNet - AMS with 4 new and 4 from the Mars-96 project small PM, planned for launch in 2017.
- Mars-Aster is an AMS for the study of Mars and asteroids since 2018.
- "Mars-Grunt" - an AMS for the delivery of soil from Mars around 2020-2033.
At the end of 1971 - December 2 - a spacecraft landed on the surface of Mars. It was the first in the world and so far the only soft landing of a descent vehicle on the Red Planet in the history of Soviet-Russian cosmonautics. This and other projects of the USSR for the exploration of Mars are in the RG review.
Scouts of interplanetary routes
In the context of the exploration of Mars, one cannot but say a few words about the lunar program of the USSR. It was the first flights to the Earth satellite that made it possible to gain experience and perfect the technology for creating interplanetary automatic stations.
The first spacecraft to reach the second space speed, Luna-1, was launched on January 2, 1959. The second took off in September of the same year. And although the launch was accompanied by malfunctions, "Luna-2" for the first time in the world reached the surface of a celestial body in the region of the Sea of \u200b\u200bRains, in the northwestern part of the satellite side visible from Earth.
The apparatus for modern times was simple: it did not have its own propulsion system, and from the scientific equipment it had an instrument for recording nuclear radiation and elementary particles, Geiger counters, magnetometers and micrometeorite detectors. On the other hand, Luna-2 delivered a pennant with the emblem of the USSR to the satellite's surface.
Trial balloon
The colonization of space is an important step for the future of humanity, and Mars is the perfect launch pad like no other planet. Judge for yourself: you can achieve it in about 9 months; the Martian day is 24 hours 39 minutes and is almost equal to the Earth's; there is an atmosphere that provides some protection from solar and cosmic radiation; recent NASA studies have confirmed the presence of water on the planet. These and many other factors, according to scientists, indicate that after the terraforming process, the planet may be quite suitable for life.
The superpowers - the USSR and the USA - have been eyeing the Red Planet for a long time. Competition in space exploration was an echo in its day cold war, but in fact turned into an impetus for the development of both countries.
And although initially Soviet attempts to reach Mars were unsuccessful, already on November 1, 1962, the Mars-1 developed by the Kaliningrad OKB-1 became the first spacecraft in history to be launched on a flight path to the Red Planet.
A powerful radio-technical complex for long-range space communications was built especially for the launches of spacecraft to Mars. There they recorded: during the flight of the first device, 61 radio communication sessions were carried out with it, a large amount of telemetric information was received, and more than three thousand radio commands were transmitted on board.
Unfortunately, the trip was short-lived: due to a leak in the valve, the pressure in the gas cylinder for the attitude control engines dropped. The last time Mars-1 made contact was at a distance of 106 million kilometers from Earth.
Based on ballistic data, scientists suggest that on June 19, 1963, Mars-1 flew at a distance of about 200 thousand kilometers from the surface of the planet after which it was named, and continued its flight around the Sun.
The flight of the apparatus provided new data on the physical properties of outer space between the orbits of the Earth and Mars, the intensity of cosmic radiation, the strength of magnetic fields, and so on.
"Gift" to the Martians
It was understood that the next device would be able to study the planet not only from the side, but also directly from the surface.
On May 19, 1971, the Mars-2 station was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. The twin, Mars-3, followed in the sky (both stations were structurally identical: if the first mission failed, the next spacecraft would have to complete what it had begun).
Mars-2 was intended to explore the planet both from the orbit of an artificial satellite and using a lander. To implement this program, the Lavochkin NPO developed modules from scratch, which were the latest generation of Soviet automatic interplanetary stations. The constructive solutions embedded in them, according to the specialists of the research institute, have been successfully used for almost 20 years in the creation of interplanetary stations of the Mars, Venus, Vega series, the Astron and Granat space observatories.
"In November 1971, the second corrections of the trajectories of movement were successfully carried out. There were only a few days left before the arrival of the stations to Mars. The weather on the planet was unfavorable for observations from orbital stations, and even more so for the landing of the descent vehicle: an unusually strong raged on Mars for several weeks a dust storm that covered the entire surface of the planet. Astronomers have not recorded such a powerful storm in the entire history of observations, "the researchers said.
Nevertheless, the device successfully reached its destination. True, the landing was unsuccessful: the onboard computer malfunctioned due to a software error, and the angle of entry into the atmosphere turned out to be greater than the calculated one. The descent module entered the Martian atmosphere too steeply, because of which it did not have time to brake during the aerodynamic descent stage. The parachute system in such conditions was ineffective, and the device crashed on the surface of Mars, thus becoming the first "alien" object on the planet. The weight of the "gift" was 4650 kilograms.
Signal from Mars
After the loss of Mars-2, the main hopes were pinned on the Mars-3 station approaching the Red Planet. The descent of the third apparatus of the Soviet program was a real breakthrough in the era of studying the fourth planet from the Sun
A soft landing on Mars is still a complex scientific and technical task, and at that time the topography of the planet's surface and soil features were poorly understood.
As one of the creators of the spacecraft said, the force of gravity on Mars is only two and a half times less than that of the Earth, and the spacecraft helped out the atmosphere: despite the meager pressure, it was used for braking. But the spacecraft still entered the atmosphere at a tremendous speed, and a soft landing was almost impossible. The way out was braking in several steps - aerodynamic, parachute.
Until now, space automatic stations communicated directly with the Earth. The signal from the Martian spacecraft was first received by the Mars-3 orbital station, and from it it went to Earth, to the Center for Long-Range Space Communication. According to a specialist in radio engineering systems, such a complex scheme was necessary. To transmit information directly from the Martian lander, you must have a powerful radio transmitter and antenna on it.
Within a minute and a half after landing, the station was preparing for work, after which it began transmitting a panorama of the surrounding surface. In December 1971, the Pravda newspaper wrote about how scientists, with bated breath, were waiting for a signal from the apparatus, which was located on a huge plain blown by unearthly winds. The signal has gone! But after 14.5 seconds, the broadcast stopped. Mars-3 transmitted only the first 79 lines of the photo-television signal: the resulting image was a gray background without a single detail.
Subsequently, several hypotheses were put forward about what caused the sudden termination of the signal: they suggested a discharge in the transmitter antennas, damage to the battery, and so on.
Yes, Mars 3 made the world's first soft landing on the Red Planet, but could neither transmit photographs nor test the first walking Mars rover. Only in July 1976, the American Viking satellites were able to transmit images of the surface and conduct scientific researchincluding tests for the presence of life.
To this day, the minds of space research enthusiasts are occupied with the question: what happened to Mars-3? A man-made object on an alien planet has been searched for in surface images for more than a dozen years. In the image obtained by modern vehicles in 2013, for example, at the calculated landing point of Mars-3, a bright spot resembling a parachute is noticeable.
Companion as a premonition
The last wanderer named "Mars" - the sixth in a row - was launched on March 12, 1974. The device reached the planet, but communication with it was lost even before landing, in the immediate vicinity of the surface.
Then the era of "Phobos" began. The project, led by Academician Roald Sagdeev, Soviet and American physicist, was launched on the wave of successful cooperation with Western scientific organizations.
Why did Mars' satellite attract the attention of scientists? The fact is that, due to the small mass, the geological structure of Phobos and Deimos has not undergone major changes since the formation of the solar system. The study of the chemical composition of the soil of Phobos would give scientists the opportunity to judge the conditions for the formation of bodies in the solar system, their subsequent evolution and, perhaps, to know the reasons that led to the emergence of the Earth and the development of life on it.
So, on July 7 and 12, 1988, Phobos-1 and Phobos-2 were sequentially launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on a flight trajectory to Mars. Both machines ended their days ingloriously.
Communication with the first Phobos was lost two months later. The reason for this was a mistake made by a specialist at the Babakin Scientific Testing Center when drawing up a program for the onboard equipment. The wrong command led to the flight of Phobos-1 in a mode not oriented relative to the Sun. For this reason, the onboard chemical batteries were discharged, the spacecraft lost the ability to receive radio commands. The connection could not be restored.
Phobos-2 was more fortunate: it flew safely to Mars. Preparatory maneuvers were performed for rapprochement with Phobos. On March 27, 1989, after the completion of the television shooting, the on-board transmitter was to turn on. However, at the estimated time, the signal on Earth was not received. The exact moment of the accident is unknown: the design of Phobos-2 did not allow simultaneous photography and communication with the MCC. The last distorted signal received after a failed communication session showed: the on-board computer does not work, and the device itself rotates, having lost its orientation.
The main task - the delivery of an automatic self-propelled mini-station to the surface of Phobos - remained unfulfilled. However, despite the loss of communication with both vehicles, the exploration of Mars, Phobos and near-Martian space, carried out within 57 days at the stage orbital motion, made it possible to obtain unique scientific results. For example, estimate the rate of erosion of the Martian atmosphere caused by interaction with the solar wind.
This concludes the Soviet Mars exploration program.