Sep 30, 2017
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Meet the Contestants: Mars 6
Model of Mars 6 & 7 [NASA]
Mars 6 was both a flyby and a lander mission. It launched August 5, 1973 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On Mars 12, 1974, the lander separated from the spacecraft and entered Mars atmosphere. It returned data in the atmosphere, but lost contact at or near the surface, and likely crash-landed. While this was the first data returned from Mars’ atmosphere, most was degraded and unusable.
The flyby craft performed similar observations to the Mars 4 and 5 craft, examining the planet’s atmosphere and ionosphere.
The similar Mars 7 was launched 4 days later, and launched its own lander too early, which missed the planet.
Read more about Mars 6 on the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive.
Tune in for round 1 of the Mars Mission Tournament, when Mars 6 goes up against the short-lived orbiter Mars 5.
Meet the Contestants: Mars 5
Mars 5 [NASA/NSSDC]
Mars 5 is a Mars orbiter launched by the USSR in July 1973, just days after Mars 4. It reached Mars orbit on February 12, 1974. Due to a micrometeoroid impact which damaged the orbiter, it operated for less than a month before the transmitter lost pressurisation.
During its lifetime, the spacecraft observed the atmosphere and the surface, returning data on composition, temperature and the planet’s ionosphere.
Read more about Mars 5 on the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive.
Tune in for round 1 of the Mars Mission Tournament, when Mars 5 goes up against the lander/flyby pair, Mars 6.
Meet the Contestants: Mars 4
The Mars 4 & 5 Spacecraft [NASA/V.G. Perminov]
Mars 4 was intended to be a Mars orbiter, launched by the USSR in 1973. It failed to enter Mars orbit, when its retro-rockets failed to fire and slow it down upon its approach. As a result it performed a flyby instead, still managing to return images and data from Mars including a nightside detection of Mars ionosphere.
Read more about Mars 4 on the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive.
Tune in for round 1 on the Mars Mission Tournament when Mars 4 goes up against the Nozomi spacecraft.
Meet the Contestants: Mars 2 & 3
Mars 3 [IKI]
Mars 2 and 3 were identical orbiter/lander missions launched by the USSR in 1971. Both were intended to land small rovers which would explore Mars’ surface and communicate with the orbiters.
Mars 2 launched May 19, 1971 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and reached Mars orbit on November 27, 1971, just shy of 2 weeks after Mariner 9. The lander separated less than 5 hours later, and descended much faster than intended, crashing at an unknown location on the Martian surface and becoming the first human-made object to impact Mars.
Mars 3 launched 9 days after Mars 2, on May 28, and reached Mars on December 2. Again, the lander separated shortly after reaching Mars orbit, but unlike Mars 2, it achieved a soft landing on the Martian surface, becoming the first object to do so. The lander began to transmit but cut off after 20 seconds. Signal was not re-established.
Both orbiters remained operational until August of 1972. They both mapped the surface and returned data on the makeup of the atmosphere, surface temperatures and the martian gravitational and magnetic fields.
Learn more at the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive.
Tune in for round 1 of the Mars Mission Tournament, when these missions go head to head.
United Arab Emirates launches mission to Mars
United Arab Emirates launches mission to Mars
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The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars early on Monday as it strives to develop its scientific and technology capabilities and move away from its reliance on oil.
The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 1:58 a.m. UAE time/6:58 a.m. Japanese time Monday (2158 GMT Sunday) for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and…
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