Viking-2-Orbiter

Viking-2 Orbiter (One of the mission of Viking Program)

    Viking-2 Orbiter is a part of Viking Program and similar to Viking-1-Program  sent to Mars.This mission consist of a Orbiter and a Lander. It was the second landing on the surface of Mars.Viking-2 was launched on 9 September 1975 carried by Titan IIIE Rocket with a launch mass of 1455 kilogram.

MISSION OVERVIEW:

     Viking-2 Orbiter started to beam images of Mars after the successful orbital insertion on 7 August 1976. The lander separated from the orbiter on 3 September 1976 and landed at Utopia Planitia.

RESULTS OF VIKING-2 MISSION:

ORBITER:

• It created an idea for Huge water on Mars
• River Valleys were found in many areas on the surface of Mars
• It discovered flow of water in carved deep valleys, eroded grooves, cracks of bed-rock
• It found Ravi Vallis which formed from catastropic floods came from ground.

LANDER:

• After analysing soil it found the presence of magnesium, aluminium, sulphur, calcium, titanium, strontium and yttrium.
• These minerals were the products of Igneous rocks 
• VIKING-2 BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT: It consist of instruments like
• Pyrolytic Release Experiment
• Labeled Release Experiment
• Gas Exchange Experiment
• Gas Chromatograph 
• Mass Spectrometer

• Scientists found that Viking Program gave positive results to the search of life, but still it is not confirmed

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Kosmos 419

Kosmos 419 was also known as 3MS-No.170 orbiter. It was a failed Soviet spacecraft to Mars. It was launched on 10 May 1971 from Baikanour launch pad, Russia and Kosmos was carried by Proton K/D rocket. Due to malfunction of rocket engine, it decayed in low earth orbit after launch on 12 May 1971.

SIMULTANEOUS MISSION:

     Simultaneously United states and Russia made new attempts to reach Red planet. Mariner8 and Mariner9 of NASA, Kosmos 419 of Russia. But Mariner-8 lost in launch failure two days before Kosmos 419 was launched. This spacecraft also lost on 12 May 1971. Mariner-9 became the first spacecraft to orbit Mars.

REASON FOR LAUNCH FAILURE:

     Proton K/D's Block-D ignition timer was incorrectly set. It was set to ignite 1.5 years after launch instead of 1.5 hours.

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Viking 1 Orbiter

NASA's Viking Program consists of Viking-1 and Viking-2. Of these Viking-1 spacecraft became the first spacecraft to land on Mars. It Successfully landed on Mars on 20 July 1976. It occupies the second longest operated mission on Mars. The first place was occupied by Opportunity Rover which landed on 19 Mars 2010.Viking-1 Spacecraft carried a Orbiter and a Lander. The Viking-1 Lander performed Biological Experiment on the surface of Mars.

 START OF MISSION:

    Viking-1 Orbiter with Lander was carried by Titan IIIE/Centaur Rocket on 20 August 1975 at  11:53:06 UTC. Viking-1 after placed into its trajectory path to Mars, it traveled a period of 10 months and beamed back images of Mars Five days before its orbital insertion. Viking-1 Orbiter was successfully inserted into Martian Orbit on 19 July 1976. After orbital insertion Viking-1 Lander separated from orbiter at 08:51 UTC and performed successful landing on Mars at 11:53:06 UTC. This became the first lander to land on Mars.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED BY ORBITER:

• Vidicon Cameras

• Infrared Spectrometer

• Water vapor mapper

• Infrared Radiometers

• Thermal Mapper  

ORBITER:

     The Viking-1 Orbiter became a communication relay between Viking-1 Lander and Earth. It performed various operation during its period from 19 June 1976 to 16 August 1980 and operations were terminated on 17 August 1980, because it was ran out of control gas.

LANDER:

       The lander separated from orbiter on 20 July 1976 and it orbited around mars at a speed of 5km per hour. Its retrorockets fired and landed safely on Martian Surface using its parachute. During its landing its Mass Spectrometer measured pressure, temperature and density sensors. After successful landing of Viking-1 Lander, it began its operations after 25 seconds.The lander operated for a period of 6 years on Mars.It conducted various experiments, but in an attempt to program a new software it lost its communication.

INSTRUMENTS CARRIED BY LANDER:

• Two Facsimile Cameras
• Analyser for Metabolism
• Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer
• X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer
• Sensors to measure temperature, pressure,wind and velocity
• Three-axis seismometer
• A Magnet on a sampler
• Cameras and various sensors     

MISSION OUTCOMES:

      The Viking-1 Lander took biological experiment for the search of life, but the team got positive results. Some believe that the result was false due to various reasons. But NASA observed many changes to the surface near the viking landing site and they predict that, this change due to the inorganic chemical reactions. Life may be present.

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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 5 Orbiter | 3MS No.53S

Mars 5 Sketch

    Mars 3MS No.53S alternatively called Mars 5 Orbiter was a soviet spacecraft intended to explore Mars in early 1973. Mars 5 was intended to enter mars orbit around 1974.This spacecraft was built by Lavochkin. Mars 5 was the second of  two 3MS spacecraft launched to Mars in 1973. Other launches in the same window was Kosmos 419 orbiter, 3MP Mars 6, 3MP Mars 7.It carried an array of instruments to study Mars.Some of the Mars 5 instruments were:

 INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

• Mars Camera
• Radio Telescope
• IR Radiometer
• Multiple photometer
• Polarimeters
• Magnetometer
• Plasma Traps
• Electrostatic Analyser
• Gamma-ray Spectrometer
• Radio-probe

OPERATION:

   Mars 4 was carried by Proton-K rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 18:55:48 UTC on 25th July 1973. First three stages of Proton-K successfully placed Mars-4 in low earth orbit. Fourth Stage (Block-D) placed Mars-4 into heliocentric orbit. On 2 February 1974 the spacecraft was successfully inserted into Martian Orbit.. Several Earlier missions of Russia (Roscosmos) results in failure of missions starting from Mars 1M No.1, 1M No.2, 2MV-4 No.1, 2MV-4 No.2 (Mars 1), 2MV-3 No.1, 2M No.521, 2M No.522, Kosmos 419 (3MS No.170), Mars 2 lander and Prop-M Rover. Only Mars2 and Mars 5 was mostly successful.

 

MISSION OUTCOMES:

• It stopped functioning on 28th February 1974
• It returned 180 photographs, 43 of which were good quality and usable. 

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Mars 4 Orbiter | 3MS No.52S

Mars 4 Orbiter

Mars 3MS No.52S alternatively called Mars 4 Orbiter was a soviet spacecraft intended to explore Mars in early 1973. Mars 4 was intended to enter mars orbit around 1974.But the computer problems prevented the orbital insertion.This spacecraft was built by Lavochkin. Mars 4 was the first two 3MS spacecraft launched to Mars in 1973. Other launches in the same window was Kosmos 419 orbiter, 3MP Mars 6, 3MP Mars 7.It carried an array of instruments to study Mars.Some of the Mars 4 instruments were:

 INSTRUMENTS CARRIED:

• Mars Camera
• Radio Telescope
• IR Radiometer
• Multiple photometer
• Polarimeters
• Magnetometer
• Plasma Traps
• Electrostatic Analyser
• Gamma-ray Spectrometer
• Radio-probe

OPERATION:

Proton-K Carrying Mars-4

   Mars 4 was carried by Proton-K rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome at 19:30:59 UTC on 21st July 1973. First three stages of Proton-K successfully placed Mars-4 in low earth orbit. Fourth Stage (Block-D) placed Mars-4 into heliocentric orbit. But during the manoevres course correction on 30th July 1973, two on board computers failed which results in the failure of orbital entry. Several Earlier missions of Russia (Roscosmos) results in failure of missions starting from Mars 1M No.1, 1M No.2, 2MV-4 No.1, 2MV-4 No.2 (Mars 1), 2MV-3 No.1, 2M No.521, 2M No.522, Kosmos 419 (3MS No.170), Mars 2 lander and Prop-M Rover. Only Mars2 was mostly successful.

 

MISSION OUTCOMES:

• A small amount of data was collected during close approach on 10th February 1974 (1,844 kilometers)
• The Mission failed because it failed to perform orbital insertion.

 

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Mars 3 Orbiter

     Mars 2 and Mars 3 were similar spacecraft sent to mars in early 1971 by Russian Scientists. Both mission carried descent landers and launched with an interval of 9 days. Mars 2 orbiter and lander on 19 May 1971, Mars 3 orbiter and lander on 28 May 1971. Both the orbiter mission was mostly successful returning images back to earth, but the lander mission was failed due to communication lost ( which may have been caused by Martian giant dust storms).

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

 OUTCOMES:

• Mars 3 was successful sending data from December 1971 to March 1972
• Both the orbiters combined and sent 6o images, which revealed the presence of 22km high mountain, oxygen and hydrogen in upper atmosphere.
• It found Surface temperature of -110 to 13 deg C, Pressure 6 millibar.
• It discovered the giant dust storm prevails to an altitude of 7 to 8 km.
• It gave more information on Martian gravity and Magnetic fields

 

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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

DESCRIPTION:

     Mars 2 Orbiter along with Mars 2 Lander together called Mars 2 Mission. It was unmanned mission sent to Mars by Soviet Russia in Early 1971. Mars 2 and Mars 3 missions were similar to each other, both consisting of Orbiter and a Lander. The got their design from a spacecraft called Venera9. This probe almost reached Mars but it was deployed.

ORBITER:

     The spacecraft's engine burned to place it into Martian Orbit for about 18 hours, engines were started after 30 minutes near periapsis.

OBJECTIVES:

     The objectives of Mars 2 Mission were

• To image Martian Surface and Clouds [Mars 2 Images]                         
• To determine the surface temperature of Mars
• To study Topography, composition and physical properties of surface
• To measure properties and composition of Atmosphere
• To monitor Solar Wind and Interplanetary Magnetic fields
• To Act as communication relay between earth and the lander

MISSION BARRIER:

     Mars 2 mission was particularly affected by large dust storm. Due to this dust storm, atmosphere of Mars became thick, this observation were noticed by Mariner 9 Spacecraft which successfully orbited mars in 14 November of 1971. Both Mars 2 and Mars 3 were unable to program their computer due to the dust storm which dispatched their lander immediately. Landers were affected by dust storm and resulted in mission failure.

OUTCOMES:

• Mars 2 was successful sending data from December 1971 to March 1972
• Both the orbiters combined and sent 6o images, which revealed the presence of 22km high mountain, oxygen and hydrogen in upper atmosphere.
• It found Surface temperature of -110 to 13 deg C, Pressure 6 millibar.
• It discovered the giant dust storm prevails to an altitude of 7 to 8 km.
• It gave more information on Martian gravity and Magnetic fields

FURTHER REFERENCE

1. Mars 2 Mission Images (Soviet Mars Image Catalog) 
2. NASA Mars Mission Website

BOOKS ON MARS 2 AND MARS 3:

     Destination Mars, Pyle Rod (2012) ISBN 978-1-61614-589-7 [PDF]

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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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