All Missions

Mars 2 (Orbiter)

The Mars 2 mission (USSR, 1971) was a dual orbiter and lander mission. It arrived during a global dust storm. The orbiter successfully entered orbit, but its science was limited by the dust. The lander failed due to an incorrect entry angle and crashed, becoming the first human object to impact Mars.

Kosmos 419

The Soviet Kosmos 419 mission, launched on May 10, 1971, was an attempt to be the first Mars orbiter. It failed in Earth orbit when the Blok D upper stage failed to ignite. The cause was a programming error: the ignition timer was set for 1.5 years instead of 1.5 hours. It re-entered the atmosphere two days later.

Mariner 8

Mariner 8 (NASA), launched on May 9, 1971, was intended to be the first spacecraft to orbit Mars. However, the mission failed catastrophically during launch. The Centaur upper stage of the Atlas-Centaur rocket suffered an uncontrolled oscillation, leading to a premature engine shutdown. The spacecraft failed to reach orbit and fell into the Atlantic Ocean.

Mars 1969B

The Mars 1969B mission (USSR), internally designated M-69 No.522, was an attempt to send a heavy orbiter to Mars, launched on April 2, 1969. It failed catastrophically and instantly at liftoff when a first-stage engine of the Proton-K rocket failed, causing the vehicle to crash back onto the launch pad and explode.

Mariner 7

NASA's Mariner 7 mission, launched in March 1969, was a resounding success. Alongside its twin, Mariner 6, it flew by Mars in August 1969, sending back 126 images. Its key discovery was determining that the southern polar cap was composed primarily of frozen CO2, not water ice, altering the scientific view of the planet.

Mars 1969A

The Soviet Mars 1969A (2M No.521) mission was an ambitious attempt to place a heavy orbiter of nearly 5 tons into Mars orbit using the new Proton-K rocket. However, the mission failed catastrophically during launch on March 27, 1969. A failure in the third stage's turbopump rotor caused a fire and the vehicle's disintegration , with debris falling in the Altai Mountains.