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Collection:
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NASA Solarsystem Collection
Collection
NASA Solarsystem Collection
Collection
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title:
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Mars 2
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description:
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Mars 2 was the first of two orbiterlander combination spacecraft sent to Mars by the Soviets during the 1971 launch window.
The orbiters were roughly cylindrical structures fixed to a large propellant tank base. The landers were egg-shaped modules with petals that would open on the Martian surface.
The 1,000-kilogram landers (of which 350 kilograms was the actual capsule) were fastened to the top of the bus and protected by a braking shell for entry into the Martian atmosphere. After jettisoning the shell, the landers would deploy parachutes to descend to the Martian surface.
On the Mars 2 trip to the Red Planet, controllers performed two successful midcourse corrections on 17 June and 20 November 1971, respectively. On 27 November 1971, Mars 2 implemented its final midcourse correction, after which the lander probe separated to initiate atmospheric entry. At this point, the onboard computer was designed to implement final corrections to the trajectory, spin the lander around its longitudinal axis, and fire a solidpropellant engine to initiate reentry in a specific direction.
During the flight, after the final midcourse correction, the trajectory of the spacecraft was so accurate that there was no need for further corrective measures. Because of pre-programmed algorithms that assumed a deviated trajectory, the lander was put into an incorrect attitude after separation to compensate for the "error." When the reentry engine fired, the angle of entry proved to be far too steep. The parachute system never deployed, and the lander eventually crashed onto the Martian surface at 4° north latitude and 47° west longitude. It was the first humanmade object to make contact with Mars.
description
Mars 2 was the first of two orbiterlander combination spacecraft sent to Mars by the Soviets during the 1971 launch window.
The orbiters were roughly cylindrical structures fixed to a large propellant tank base. The landers were egg-shaped modules with petals that would open on the Martian surface.
The 1,000-kilogram landers (of which 350 kilograms was the actual capsule) were fastened to the top of the bus and protected by a braking shell for entry into the Martian atmosphere. After jettisoning the shell, the landers would deploy parachutes to descend to the Martian surface.
On the Mars 2 trip to the Red Planet, controllers performed two successful midcourse corrections on 17 June and 20 November 1971, respectively. On 27 November 1971, Mars 2 implemented its final midcourse correction, after which the lander probe separated to initiate atmospheric entry. At this point, the onboard computer was designed to implement final corrections to the trajectory, spin the lander around its longitudinal axis, and fire a solidpropellant engine to initiate reentry in a specific direction.
During the flight, after the final midcourse correction, the trajectory of the spacecraft was so accurate that there was no need for further corrective measures. Because of pre-programmed algorithms that assumed a deviated trajectory, the lander was put into an incorrect attitude after separation to compensate for the "error." When the reentry engine fired, the angle of entry proved to be far too steep. The parachute system never deployed, and the lander eventually crashed onto the Martian surface at 4° north latitude and 47° west longitude. It was the first humanmade object to make contact with Mars.
description
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date:
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05.19.1971
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keywords:
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Solar System Exploration
keywords
Solar System Exploration
keywords
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keywords:
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SSE
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keywords:
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Space
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keywords:
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NASA
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keywords:
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
keywords
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
keywords
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keywords:
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JPL
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keywords:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory
keywords
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
keywords
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keywords:
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Planets
keywords
Planets
keywords
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars 2
facet_what
Mars 2
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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20 November 1971
facet_when
20 November 1971
facet_when
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facet_when:
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27 November 1971
facet_when
27 November 1971
facet_when
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facet_when:
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05-19-1971
facet_when
05-19-1971
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1971
facet_when_year
1971
facet_when_year
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UID:
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SPD-SLRSY-3423
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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