Ussr on Mars. Soviet missions to Mars: how the Soviet Union studied the red planet

The first successful Soviet Martian mission was the dispatch to the "red planet" of the automatic interplanetary station of the third generation Mars-2. Mars-2 was intended to explore Mars both from its orbit and directly from the surface of the planet.

Mars-2

The AMS consisted of an orbital station (an artificial satellite for the exploration of Mars) and a descent vehicle. Navigation in Space was carried out using orientation to the Sun, the Canopus star and the Earth. The Soviet Union was planning to carry out serious research work on Mars, for this, the AMS had all the necessary equipment: an infrared photometer for studying the surface relief by measuring the amount carbon dioxide, an ultraviolet photometer for determining the density of the upper atmosphere. Cosmic ray particle counter and many other devices. The descent vehicle was also automated and configured for autonomous operation and control.

The station was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on May 19, 1971. The flight of the station to Mars lasted more than 6 months. The flight was carried out according to the program and, as they say, nothing foreshadowed trouble, only for the last stage(most importantly, it should be admitted), due to incorrect calculations, the descent vehicle entered the atmosphere at an angle greater than the specified one, the parachute system was ineffective in such conditions and, having passed through the atmosphere of Mars, the vehicle crashed. To the credit of our country, our lander, although it crashed, nevertheless became the first artificial object on the planet. For more than eight months, the orbital station carried out comprehensive studies of Mars, having completed 362 revolutions around the planet during its operation.

Mars-3

The next Russian Mars mission was more successful. When developing the Mars-3 program, the shortcomings of the previous launch were taken into account. Launched 9 days after Mars-2, the Mars-3 station successfully reached Martian orbit six months later. The lander for the first time in history made a soft landing on the surface of the "red planet".

After one and a half minutes of the preparatory period, the device started to work and began to broadcast a panorama of the surrounding surface, but after 14 and a half seconds, the "Martian show" ended. Of course, this “show” can be called a stretch: AMC transmitted only the first 79 lines of the photo-television signal, which was a gray background without a single detail, the same happened with the broadcast from the second telephotometer. Various versions of the incorrect operation of the devices were assumed: corona discharge in the transmitter antennas, damage to the battery ... but the final decision on the reasons for the failure was not made. Not otherwise, the Martians have made something clever.

Mars-4

On July 21, 1973, Mars-4 was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. 204 days after the launch, on February 10, 1974, the spacecraft flew at a distance of 1844 km from the surface of Mars. 27 minutes before this moment, one-line optical-mechanical scanners - telephotometers were switched on, with the help of which panoramas of two regions of the surface of Mars were taken (in the orange and red-infrared ranges).

For the first time in the practice of Russian cosmonautics, four spacecraft took part in flight. Many tasks were assigned to Mars-4: studying the distribution of water vapor over the planet's disk, determining the gas composition and density of the atmosphere, measuring the fluxes of electrons and protons along the flight path and near the planet, studying the spectra of the intrinsic glow of the Mars atmosphere, and many others. The main task of Mars-4 was to get in touch with automatic stations on the surface of Mars. The Mars-4 spacecraft carried out photographing of Mars from the flyby trajectory. In photographs of the planet's surface, 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. With its help, using color filters by synthesizing negatives, color images of a number of areas of the surface of Mars were obtained. Color images are also of high quality and are suitable for areological-morphological and photometric studies. Unfortunately, Mars-4 did not fulfill all the tasks assigned to it.

Mars-5

The launch of AMS Mars-5 was carried out four days after the launch of Mars-4. The tasks that were assigned to him did not differ much from the previous mission. The Mars-5 station successfully entered orbit around the planet, but immediately the instrument compartment was depressurized, as a result of which the station's operation lasted only about two weeks. The scientific instruments located at the Mars-5 station were intended mainly for studying a number of the most important characteristics of the planet's surface and near-planetary space from orbit. The device was equipped with a Lyman-alpha photometer, designed jointly by Soviet and French scientists, and designed to search for hydrogen in the upper atmosphere of Mars. The magnetometer installed on board took measurements magnetic field planets.

An infrared radiometer operating in the range of 8-40 microns was intended to measure the surface temperature. The artificial satellite of Mars SC "Mars-5" transmitted to the Earth new information about the planet and the surrounding space; high-quality photographs of the Martian surface, including color ones, were obtained from the satellite orbit. The studies of the magnetic field in the near-Martian space carried out by the spacecraft confirmed the conclusion drawn on the basis of similar studies of the Mars-2, -3 spacecraft that there is a magnetic field of the order of 30 gammas near the planet (7-10 times greater than the value of the interplanetary unperturbed fields carried by the 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. Based on similar measurements from the Mars-5 spacecraft, for the first time directly measured the temperature of atomic hydrogen in upper atmosphere Mars. Preliminary processing of the data showed that this temperature is close to 350 ° K. Despite the fact that the work of the station did not last long, during its operation, numerous information was obtained about Mars, its atmosphere and magnetic field.

Mars 6

Another of our descent vehicle ended up on Mars thanks to the Mars-6 AMS launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome on August 5, 1973. Sadly, this time there was no soft landing either. During the descent, there was no digital information from the MX 6408M device, but with the help of the Zubr, IT and ID devices, information about overloads, temperature and pressure changes was obtained. Immediately before landing, communication with the aircraft was lost.

The last telemetry received from it confirmed the issuance of a command to turn on the soft landing engine. The reappearance of the signal was expected 143 seconds after the disappearance, but this did not happen, however, the data obtained during the descent has already brought significant results and made a great contribution to the study of Mars. The Mars-6 descent vehicle landed on the planet, transmitting to Earth for the first time data on the parameters of the Martian atmosphere obtained during the descent. Mars 6 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 was triggered, and the atmosphere of Mars gained access to the device. Preliminary analysis suggests that the argon content in the planet's atmosphere may be about one third. This result 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 Earth and on board a spacecraft located hundreds of millions of kilometers away from our planet makes it possible to reconstruct the volumetric picture of the radio wave generation process and obtain data on the fluxes 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.

Mars 7

Mars 7 was launched on August 9, 1973. This mission to Mars was unsuccessful. The descent vehicle passed 1400 kilometers from the surface of Mars and went into space. Thus, the target program of Mars-7 was not fulfilled, but, making an autonomous flight, the descent vehicle remained operational and transmitted information to the flight vehicle via radio links KD-1 and RT-1. Communication with the Mars-7 flight vehicle was maintained until March 25, 1974.

During the operation of Mars-7 in September-November 1973, a connection was recorded between the increase in the flux of protons and the speed of the solar wind. Preliminary processing of the Mars-7 spacecraft data 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 an approximately equal contribution 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 to isolate the contribution of galactic radiation to the Lyman-alpha lines. This experiment was carried out in collaboration with French scientists.

Phobos Project

The Phobos project was the next step in the study of Mars and its satellite. It was launched in the wake of successful cooperation with Western scientific organizations within the framework of the AMS "Vega" project. Despite the fact that the main task of the project remained unfulfilled, and the delivery of descent vehicles to the Mars satellite was planned, the project brought results. Explorations of Mars, Phobos and near-Martian space, carried out for 57 days at the stage of orbital motion around Mars, made it possible to obtain unique scientific results about the thermal characteristics of Phobos, the plasma environment of Mars, its interaction with the solar wind.

For example, from the magnitude of the flux of oxygen ions leaving the atmosphere of Mars, detected using the ion spectrometer installed on the Phobos-2 spacecraft, it was possible to estimate the rate of erosion of the Martian atmosphere caused by interaction with the solar wind. Soviet program the exploration of Mars is over. The launch of the next, already Russian, apparatus for exploring Mars - the Mars-96 station in 1996 - ended in failure. The launch of the next Russian apparatus for the study of Mars and its satellites (Phobos-soil) took place on November 9, 2011. The main purpose of this device is to deliver a sample of Phobos soil to Earth. On that day, the device entered the reference orbit, but for some reason, the command to turn on the propulsion system did not pass. On November 24, attempts to restore operability were officially terminated, and in February 2012 the device uncontrollably entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and fell into the ocean.

After the launch of the first satellite of the USSR, without wasting time, he took up space exploration. The plans were grandiose - already in 1960, unmanned space probes of the 1M series, named Mars-60A and 60B, were 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 startup 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 the Mars-62A 2МВ-3 spacecraft, the Mars-62B 2МВ-4 spacecraft was supposed to fly around the red planet. But they were not brought to near-earth orbit due to crashes of launch vehicles.

A different 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 was a record for the space communication range at that time.

• | 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 were to be explored 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 to carry out a soft landing using a descent vehicle.

• Automatic interplanetary station "Mars 2"

• Photo 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 via a 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 artificial satellite Earth. 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, namely four AMS, which were supposed to study Mars both from orbit and while on the planet's surface, continued their research.

The spacecraft "Mars-4" and "Mars-5" were supposed to become artificial satellites of Mars and provide communication with ground 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; 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

AMS "Mars-2" and "Mars-3" series M71 in 1971, AMS "Mars-4", "Mars-5", "Mars-6", "Mars-7" series M73 in 1973.

Unsuccessful launches of other vehicles in the M60 (1M), M62 (2MV), M64 (3MV), M69, M71 series were not reported. Those that entered orbits received the open names "Sputnik", "Probe" and "Cosmos".

The launches of the single-ton M60-M64 series of AMS were carried out by the Molniya medium launch vehicle (Mars-1), and the M69-M73 multi-ton series - by the Proton heavy launch vehicle with an additional 4th stage.

Mars exploration

Soviet unmanned stations carried out direct studies of the Martian atmosphere and carried out a number of astrophysical studies of space.

Flight scheme of AMS "Mars-3"

KA series

• "M-60" (Mars-60A, 60B) - the 1M flyby station project was developed by OKB-1. Two launches were unsuccessful.
• "M-62" (Mars-1, 62A, 62B) - a unified project of the second-generation Martian-Venus stations of WW2 was developed at OKB-1. The landing Mars-62A 2МВ-3 and the first flyby Mars-62B 2МВ-4 were launched unsuccessfully. The second overflight AMS 2MV-4 Mars-1 was launched to Mars on November 1, 1962, but it flew in inactive mode.
• "M-64" (Zond-, 2A) - a unified project of the Martian-Venusian flyby stations of the improved second generation 3MV was developed at OKB-1. Both stations for Mars were launched unsuccessfully in and were named "Probe".
• "M-69" (Mars-69A, 69B) is a project of two heavy third-generation AMS developed at NPO. Lavochkin (like all others), designed to explore Mars from the orbit of an artificial satellite (ISM); the first in the USSR and the world multi-ton AMS; both AMS were not put on interplanetary trajectories due to the crash of the "Proton" launch vehicle c.
• "M-71" The M-71 series consisted of three AMS designed to study the planet Mars both from the ISM orbit and directly from the planet's surface. For this, AMS Mars-2, -3 included both an artificial satellite - an orbital module (OM), and an automatic Mars station, whose soft landing on the planet's surface was carried out by a descent vehicle (SA). The automatic 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-71C was not launched into the interplanetary trajectory and was declared as the satellite Kosmos-419. Mars 2, 3 were launched on May 19 and 28, 1971. OM Mars-2 and −3 worked 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 transmission from the automatic Martian station stopped after 14.5 seconds.
• "M-73" The M-73 series consisted of four AMS designed to study the planet Mars. The spacecraft "Mars-4" and "Mars-5" (modification M-73S) were supposed to enter orbit around Mars and provide communication with automatic Martian stations carried by the AMS "Mars-6" and "Mars-7" ( modification M-73P). (Mars-,,,) - stations for complex exploration of Mars. Flight purpose: definition physical characteristics soil, surface rock properties, experimental verification of the possibility of obtaining television images, etc. 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, satellite operation time is about two weeks). Mars-6 - a flyby of Mars and a soft landing of an automatic Mars 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's parachute descent. Mars-7 - flyby of Mars and soft landing of the automatic Martian station (failure, the descent vehicle passed Mars).

results

The study of Mars in 1973-1974, when four Soviet spacecraft "Mars-4", "Mars-5", "Mars-6" and "Mars-7" almost simultaneously reached the vicinity of the planet, acquired a new quality.

Scientific research carried out by the Mars-4, 5, 6, 7 spacecraft is versatile and extensive. The Mars-4 spacecraft carried out photographing of Mars from the flyby trajectory. The artificial satellite of Mars, the Mars-5 spacecraft, transmitted to the Earth new information about this planet and the surrounding space; high-quality photographs of the Martian surface, including color ones, were obtained from the satellite orbit. The Mars-6 descent vehicle landed on the planet, transmitting to Earth for the first time data on the parameters of the Martian atmosphere obtained during the descent. SC "Mars-6" and "Mars-7" explored space from a heliocentric orbit. The Mars-7 spacecraft in September-November 1973 recorded a connection between the increase in the proton flux and the solar wind speed. In photographs of the planet's surface, 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. With its help, using color filters by synthesizing negatives, color images of a number of areas of the surface of Mars were obtained. 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 to ground-based observations. These profiles helped to detect for the first time traces of ozone in the atmosphere of Mars (data from the American spacecraft Mariner-6, 7, 9 "For ozone were attributed 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, -3 spacecraft that there is a magnetic field of about 30 gamma near the planet (at 7-10 times greater than the value of the unperturbed interplanetary field carried by the 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 the Mars-7 data 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 determine two components in it, each of which makes an approximately equal contribution 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 to isolate 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 was directly measured by analogous measurements from the Mars-5 spacecraft. Preliminary processing of the data showed that this temperature is close to 350 ° K. The Mars-6 lander carried out measurements of the chemical composition of the Martian atmosphere using a radio-frequency mass spectrometer. Soon after the opening of the main parachute, the analyzer opening mechanism was triggered, and the atmosphere of Mars gained access to the device. Preliminary analysis suggests that the argon content in the planet's atmosphere may be about one third. This result 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 Earth and on board a spacecraft located hundreds of millions of kilometers away from our planet makes it possible to reconstruct the volumetric picture of the radio wave generation process and obtain data on the fluxes 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.

• Mars-4NM is an unrealized project of a heavy rover, which was supposed to be launched by an N-1 super-heavy launch vehicle, which was not put into operation.
• Mars-5NM is the unrealized first 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 second 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.
• "Phobos" - two AMS for the study 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 did not fulfill the phobos one.
• "Mars-96" - the AMS based on the "Phobos" project was not launched on the interplanetary trajectory due to the accident of the "Proton" LV in 1996.
• "Phobos-Grunt" - AMS for the delivery of soil from Phobos of a new unified project; was not put on the interplanetary trajectory due to the accident of the upper stage of the LV in 2011.
• Phobos-Grunt 2 is a repeated, slightly modified AMS mission to deliver soil from Phobos, scheduled for launch 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.

Literature

Links

• V.G. Perminov The Difficult Road to Mars Memories of the developer ams Mars and Venus

In 1973, the next approach of Mars with the Earth was expected, though not the maximum. The red planet approached ours at a distance of 66 million km. Of course, such an auspicious moment had to be taken advantage of. Researchers were preparing for it different countries, including the Soviet Union. Unlike the previous expedition, which took place in 1971, this time it was decided to send four stations to Mars at once.

The flight plan provided for the launch of two main stations and two backup stations to Mars. The main link is Mars-4 and Mars-6, which is a duplicate of Mars-5 and Mars-7. Unlike the previous flight, when the descent vehicle was separated from the stations, and they themselves were launched into Mars orbit, a different scheme was used in the current expedition - it was decided to separate the functions of entering orbit and delivering the descent vehicle. It was planned that one station would only have to enter the Martian orbit, conduct surface research and ensure communication of the landing modules with the Earth. The other is to deliver the descent vehicle to the surface of Mars.

As a result, it was decided that the Mars-4,5 AMS would play the role of orbital stations and be in the Martian orbit, and the Mars-6,7 AMS were to deliver the descent vehicles to the surface. Further, the descent vehicles were supposed to maintain communication with the previously launched and orbiting stations around Mars. The program itself was named "The Martian Quartet", according to the number of stations participating in this expedition.

It should be noted right away that the program ended in failure. Both the main and the backup bundle. The failure is believed to have been caused by the failure of the electronic components of the scientific equipment. At that time, transistors were installed on spacecraft, which after a certain period of operation failed. Replacing them with more expensive ones took time, but under pressure from the then leadership of the country, which did not obey the scientists and did not postpone the launch of the "Martian Quartet", the stations were launched. As a result, a huge amount of money, effort and time went down the drain.

Events in this flight developed as follows. The Mars-4 station was launched first. It was intended for photographing and researching the surface, as well as providing radio communication between the Mars-6 or -7 descent vehicle and the Earth. The station started on July 21, 1973 and safely reached Mars on February 10, 1974, but did not enter orbit. The cause was a failure in the propulsion control system. It was trite to fail to perform braking at the right moment in time. The station flew past the planet at a distance of about 1900 km from its surface. The station still managed to take photographs and transmit to Earth about 50 images with a resolution of 100m.

Then the Mars-5 AMS was launched. Its purpose was the same as that of Mars-4. Structurally, both stations were twins. The main unit was considered to be fuel tanks, to which engines, solar panels and other equipment were attached. Station weight 4000 kg. The mass of the fuel for making corrections during the flight was 43%, and the scientific equipment was 3% of the total mass.

Launched on July 25 of the same year, the station was able to reach Mars and was launched into its orbit on February 12, 1974. The orbit parameters were as follows - the maximum offset point was about 32500 km, the maximum approach point was about 1760 km. The circulation period is 25 hours. But, immediately after that, the instrument compartment of the station was depressurized. The station worked for a little over two weeks, transmitting last time information on February 28.

AMS "Mars-6.7". Lander stations.

After the connection with both orbital stations was lost, it was not necessary to count on any serious studies of the Martian soil, and this was exactly what was considered the main task of the expedition. During its implementation, it was necessary to deliver descent vehicles to the surface of Mars, in which the main equipment was intended for studying the soil.

6th Martian Station Started 5

August 1973 But already during the flight telemetry fails. Nevertheless, it was possible to bring the device to Mars with the help of a photo-television device and a video recorder. This happened on March 12, 1974. Moreover, of all four launched stations, the work of the sixth can be considered the most successful. “Mars-6” managed to correctly orientate relative to Mars, and to separate the descent vehicle, which in turn transmitted data on the planet's atmosphere to the Earth.

But it was not possible to gently land it on the surface. Immediately before landing, information received from its side indicated significant overloads, a sharp increase in pressure and temperature changes. Communication with him was lost even before landing. Perhaps it crashed due to the failure of the radio complex.

The start of the seventh Martian station took place on August 9, 1973. She flew safely to the Red Planet on March 9, 1974. However, incorrectly calculated settings, failure of electronic components, led to the fact that the descent vehicle, after separation from the station, flew 1,300 kilometers from the surface of Mars.

After this failed expedition, it was decided to stop the exploration of Mars using spacecraft. The last Mars program of the Soviet Union was associated with the exploration of Phobos, a satellite of Mars. Two stations were launched in 1988. But due to the failure of control systems, both of them lost contact with the Earth.

June 2015. Baibikov Vadim Vadimovich for

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 - in the review "RG".

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 accumulate experience and work out the technology for creating interplanetary automatic stations.

The first device 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 reached the surface for the first time in the world. celestial body in the area of ​​the Sea of ​​Rains, in the northwestern part of the satellite side visible from the Earth.

The apparatus for the present time 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 process of terraforming 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. Competitions in space exploration were once an echo 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. They recorded there: 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 journey 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 got in touch was at a distance of 106 million kilometers from the Earth.

Based on ballistic data, scientists suggest that on June 19, 1963, Mars-1 flew 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 device provided new data on physical properties space between the orbits of the Earth and Mars, the intensity of cosmic radiation, the intensity of magnetic fields, and so on.

"Gift" to the Martians

The implication was 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 (structurally, both stations were 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 with the help of a lander. To implement this program, Lavochkin NPO developed modules from scratch, which were latest generation 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: for several weeks an unusually strong raged on Mars a dust storm that engulfed 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, which is why 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 the features of the soil were poorly understood.

As one of the creators of the apparatus said, the force of gravity on Mars is only two and a half times less than that of the earth, and the apparatus helped out the atmosphere: despite the meager pressure, it was possible to use it 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 robots communicated directly with the Earth. The signal from the Martian spacecraft was first received by orbital station Mars-3, and from it he 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. The newspaper "Pravda" in December 1971 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 research including tests for the presence of life.

To this day, the minds of enthusiasts space exploration the question is: what happened to Mars 3? Man made item on an alien planet, they have been looking for surfaces in 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 in the wake of successful cooperation with Western scientific organizations.

Why did the satellite of Mars attract the attention of scientists? The fact is that due to the small mass geological structure Phobos and Deimos have 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, from the Baikonur cosmodrome, Phobos-1 and Phobos-2 were sequentially launched onto 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 of the Babakin Scientific Testing Center when drawing up a program for the operation of 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, and 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 television shooting, the on-board transmitter was supposed 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 spacecraft, the exploration of Mars, Phobos and near-Martian space, carried out within 57 days at the stage of 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.