Mars 7 | 3MP No.51P

Mars 7 Lander/Flyby

     Mars 7 also known as 3MP No.51P was a Soviet Mars Spacecraft launched to explore Mars. A 3MP bus spacecraft launched as a part Mars Programme, This Mission carried a Lander and a coast stage with instruments to study Mars. This spacecraft was built by Lavochkin, Mars 6 and Mars 7 were 3MP spacecrafts. Two orbiters Mars-4 and Mars-5 were launched earlier and were expected to relay data for these two Landers. However Mars 4 failed to enter orbit and Mars 5 failed after few days in Martian orbit.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

• Thermometer - to measure surface temperature
• Barometer - to measure surface pressure
• Accelerometer
• Radio Altimeter -  for analyse the surface materials
• Mass Spectrometer
• Magnetometer
• Plasma Traps
• Cosmic Ray detectors
• Micro-meteoroid detectors - to study proton,electron and fluxes from the Sun

OPERATION:     

      Mars 7 was launched by a Proton-K carrier rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 17:00:17 UTC. Mars 7 Lander failed to separate from the flyby. However it was eventually released to begin its descent. Due to the retrorocket failure, the probe missed the atmosphere of Mars, instead of landing, flew past along with the coast stage, with a closest approach of 1,300 kilometers. The spacecrafts transistors were blamed for the failure, along with that of Mars 4.

MISSION OUTCOMES:

• The Spacecraft failed, and failed to land on Mars due to transistor problem.

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Mars 6 | 3MP No.50P

Mars 6 Lander

     Mars 6 also known as 3MP No.50P was a Soviet Mars Spacecraft launched to explore Mars. A 3Mp bus spacecraft launched as a part Mars Programme, This Mission carried a Lander and a coast stage with instruments to study Mars. This spacecraft was built by Lavochkin, Mars 6 and Mars 7 were 3MP spacecrafts. Two orbiters Mars-4 and Mars-5 were launched earlier and were expected to relay data for these two Landers. However Mars 4 failed to enter orbit and Mars 5 failed after few days in Martian orbit.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

• Thermometer - to measure surface temperature
• Barometer - to measure surface pressure
• Accelerometer
• Radio Altimeter -  for analyse the surface materials
• Mass Spectrometer
• Magnetometer
• Plasma Traps
• Cosmic Ray detectors
• Micro-meteoroid detectors - to study proton,electron and fluxes from the Sun

OPERATION:

      Mars 6 Lander separated from the flyby on a large amount of the data which had been returned was unusable. at an altitude of 48,000 kilometers from the Surface of Mars at 09:05:53 UTC. The lander encountered the atmosphere at a speed of 5.6 km per hour. As it passed through the upper atmosphere, the parachute deployed to further slow the descent lander and retrorockets fired during the last seconds before probe reaching the ground.

     The Spacecraft returned data for  3.7 minutes during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. But at 09:11:05 UTC with the spacecraft about to fire its retrorockets in preparation for landing,all contact was lost. The contact lost due to the design flaw. a chip aboard the spacecraft had degraded during the mission.

MISSION OUTCOMES:

• A large amount of the data which had been returned was unusable. 
• The Spacecraft failed, due to the contact lost upon landing.
• Atmospheric data were mostly unreadable
• Only the Flyby bus collected data

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Mars 3 Lander

MARS 3 LANDER

     At first, to design the lander was complex system and how to land lander safely to the mars atmosphere. Finally the lander design and project was undertaken by Viking project specialists of America in 1975. Due to the lack of data about Martian atmosphere Ballistic descent was chosen for the Project-M71.The Mars 3 landing design was completed. The lander was launched on 28 May 1971 with Proton-K rocket (Block-D upper stage)

LANDING:

After few months of travel to Mars, it was successfully inserted to Martian orbit on 2 December 1971 and the descent lander was released form orbiter on 2 Dec 1971 at 09:14 UT 4 hours 35 minutes before reaching mars.Through aerodynamic breaking, parachutes and retrorockets it successfully landed on Mars and began its operations. After 14.5 seconds its transmission from both channels was stopped between earth and the lander and resulted in lander mission failure. This failure may be caused due to powerful dust storms in Martian Surface.

M71-LANDER TECHNICAL DETAILS:

1. Instrument of automatic control system
2. Nitrogen Container
3. Breaking Cone
4. Radar-altimeter antenna
5. Parachute instrument module
6. Antenna ( for communication with Martian Satellite)
7. Parachute Auxiliary engine
8. Joint frame
9. Engine that initiates landing
10. Engine that controls Pitch and Yaw of lander
11. Main Parachute
12. Container of Scientific Instruments
13. Automatic Martian Station
14. Instruments of the automatic control system
15. Engine for the parachute with drawal
16. Propulsion system for landing
17. Nitrogen container for control system

PROP-M ROVER:

        Soviet Russia sent Prop-M Rover along with Mars 3 lander weighting 4.5 Kilograms. The rover was planned to move across the surface of Mars. Small metal rods in the side was used for autonomous obstacle avoidance, because it is difficult to control the rover from earth using radio signals. It take too long to travel from earth to mars as well as mars to earth.

 

DESIGN:

          The Prop-M Rover designed like a square box and the movement was provided by two skis. In front Obstacle detection bars were mounted. The square box had a protrusion at the center.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

       1) Penetrometer

       2) Densitometer

OBJECTIVES:

          The rover was planned to move on the surface of mars with the help of Television Camera. And to detect some organic materials with help of penetrators.

ENTRY:

          Prop-M rover was released on 2nd December 1971. It entered the martian atmosphere at a speed of 5.7 Km/s and successfully landed.

CONTACT:

          After 14.5 seconds of landing on the Martian surface, no signals were received from the rover. Communications lost from rover. It may be caused by the powerful dust storms causing damage to the communication system. The mission resulted in Partial Failure.

 

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Mars 2 Lander

DESCRIPTION: 

          Mars 2 Lander was an descent lander of Mars program along with Mars 2 Orbiter, which was launched by Soviet Russia in Early 1971. This spacecraft had similar design to Venera 9 spacecraft. It was planned to perform soft landing on Mars and to return images of Martian Surface. This landing module was designed by Lavochkin. This spacecraft was carried by Proton-K Heavy launch vehicle for Baikonur cosmodrome, Russia. This probe successfully reached Mars but the mission was deployed and lander failed to land during attempt on 27 November 1971.

SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS:

        The Spacecraft was mounted on the bus/orbiter opposite to the propulsion system. It consist of spherical landing capsule, conical aerobraking heat shield, parachute system and retro rockets.It also carried a small walking rover called Prop-M Rover which used its two skies to walk. The lander also carried TV Cameras to capture surface image of Mars.Mars 2 lander was sterilized before launch to avoid the exposure and contamination of Martian atmosphere.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

• 360 degree Television Cameras
• Mass Spectrometer
• Wind Sensors
• Mechanical Scoop
• Aerial Antennas   

MISSION END:

 

         The descent lander was separated from the orbiter on 27 November of 1971. After entering into the martian atmosphere, the system malfunctioned and the parachute did not depoly result in the crash of lander.After crashing it made a world record that  It became the first man made object to reach Mars.  

 

BOOKS ON MARS EXPLORATION HISTORY:

 

 

The difficult road to Mars - A Brief history of Mars Exploration in the Soviet Union [PDF]

 

 

 

FURTHER REFERENCES:

• NSSDC NASA - Mars 2 Lander
• Wikipedia - Mars 2 Lander
• Mars M71 (Mars 2 Lander)

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Mars 2MV-3 No.1

LANDER DETAILS:-
Name              : Mars 2MV-3 No.1
Mission Type : Lander
Launch           : 4 November 1962
Rocket             : Molniya 8k78
Decay date     : 25 November 1962

DESCRIPTION:-

    Mars 2MV-3 No.1 also known as Sputnik 24 in the west. It was launched in 1962 as a part of Soviet Mars Programme in the carrier rocket of Molniya. It was aimed to land on Martian surface. But due to problem in the carrier rocket, the spacecraft did not depart low earth orbit.

CAUSES FOR FAILURE:

    After 4.2 minutes of flight, the oxidizer pressurization  malfunctioned which results in cavitation turbo pump. The same problem developed in propellant field lines, but still the lower stage were able to place spacecraft to LEO. The vibration in the cavitation system prevented the Block L upper stage from igniting, leaving the spacecraft in the parking orbit. It decayed in orbit next day. The upper stage ullage motor platform  remained in orbit until January 1963.

YOUTUBE:-

    See videos about Russian Mars Spacecraft's at https://youtu.be/UbPgUZPbQFE

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