 |
 advertisement
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mars Missions
posted: 05:22 pm ET
02 December 1999
ET
|
Mars Mission Mission | Nationality | Launch Date | Objective | Result | Notes | Unnamed | USSR | Oct. 10, 1960 | Fly-by | never reached earth orbit | sometimes referred to as Marsnik 1 | Unnamed | USSR | Oct. 14, 1960 | Fly-by | never reached earth orbit | sometimes referred to as Marsnik 2 | Sputnik 22 | USSR | Oct. 24, 1962 | Fly-by | exploded while trying to leave earth orbit | NASA refers to this mission as Sputnik 29 | Mars 1 | USSR | Nov. 1, 1962 | Fly-by | probably flew by, but lost radio contact | | Sputnik 24 | USSR | Nov. 4, 1962 | Fly-by | exploded while trying to leave earth orbit | NASA refers to this mission as Sputnik 31 | Mariner 3 | US | Nov. 5, 1964 | Fly-by | malfunctioned nine hours after launch | | Mariner 4 | US | Nov. 28, 1964 | Fly-by | completed first documented fly-by | | Zond 2 | USSR | Nov. 30, 1964 | Fly-by | probably flew by, but lost radio contact | | Mariner 6 | US | Feb. 24, 1969 | Fly-by | successful fly-by | | Mariner 7 | US | Mar. 27, 1969 | Fly-by | successful fly-by | | Mariner 8 | US | May 8, 1971 | Orbit | never reached earth orbit | | Cosmos 419 | USSR | May 10, 1971 | Orbit & Land | never left earth orbit | | Mars 2 | USSR | May 19, 1971 | Orbit & Land | orbiter succeeded; lander crashed | | Mars 3 | USSR | May 28, 1971 | Orbit & Land | orbiter succeeded; lander arrived safely | picture transmissions ended 20 seconds after they began | Mariner 9 | US | May 30, 1971 | Orbit | success | arrived prior to Mars 2 & 3 | Mars 4 | USSR | July 21, 1973 | Orbit | failed to achieve mars orbit | | Mars 5 | USSR | July 25, 1973 | Orbit | success | ceased functioning after just a few days | Mars 6 | USSR | Aug. 5, 1973 | Land | data transmission stopped when landing rockets were fired | | Mars 7 | USSR | Aug. 9, 1973 | Land | retrorockets failed to fire | | Viking 1 | US | Aug. 20, 1975 | Orbit & Land | success | | Viking 2 | US | Sep. 9, 1975 | Orbit & Land | success | | Phobos 1 | USSR | July 7, 1988 | Orbit, Mars Lunar Orbit, Mars Lunar Landing | communications command error left craft inoperable en route | | Phobos 2 | USSR | July 12, 1988 | Orbit, Mars Lunar Orbit, Mars Lunar Landing | successfully reached Mars | contact lost before Mars Lunar Orbit achieved | Observer | US | Sep. 25, 1992 | Orbit | lost as it approached Mars | cause of failure still a mystery | Global Surveyor | US | Nov. 7, 1996 | Orbit | success | | Mars 96 | Russia | Nov. 16, 1996 | Orbit, Lander, Probes | failed to reach proper parking orbit | | Pathfinder | US | Dec. 4, 1996 | Lander & Rover | success | first Mars craft to employ direct descent, inflatable landing bags | Planet B (aka, Nozomi) | Japan | July 4, 1998 | Orbit | failed to "slingshot" past Earth and Moon into Mars trajectory | may yet be salvageable; future is uncertain | Climate Orbiter | US | Dec. 11, 1998 | Orbit | failed to achieve mars orbit | | Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 | US | Jan. 3, 1999 | Lander & Probes | arrival scheduled for Dec. 3, 1999 | |
|
 |
|  |
|
