Chronology of Space Exploration |
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Mars 1960A - USSR Mars Probe - (October 10, 1960)
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
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Mars 1960B - USSR Mars Probe - (October 14, 1960)
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
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Mars 1962A - USSR Mars Flyby - (October 24, 1962)
Spacecraft failed to leave Earth orbit after the final rocket stage
exploded.
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Mars 1 - USSR Mars Flyby - 893 kg - (November 1, 1962)
Communications failed en route.
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Mars 1962B - USSR Mars lander - (November 4, 1962)
Failed to leave Earth orbit.
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Mariner 3 - USA Mars Flyby - 260 kg - (November 5, 1964)
Mars flyby attempt. Solar panels did not open, preventing flyby. Mariner
3 is now in a solar orbit.
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Mariner 4 - USA Mars Flyby - 260 kg - (November
28, 1964 - December 20, 1967)
Mariner 4 arrived at Mars on July 14, 1965 and passed within 9,920
kilometers of the planet's surface. It returned 22 close-up photos showing
a cratered surface. The thin atmosphere was confirmed to be composed of
carbon dioxide in the range of 5-10 mbar. A small intrinsic magnetic field
was detected. Mariner 4 is now in a solar orbit.
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Zond 2 - USSR Mars Flyby - (November 30, 1964)
Contact was lost en route.
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Mariner 6 - USA Mars Flyby - 412 kg - (February
24, 1969)
Mariner 6 arrived at Mars on February 24, 1969, and passed within 3,437
kilometers of the planet's equatorial region. Mariner 6 and 7 took measurements
of the surface and atmospheric temperature, surface molecular composition,
and pressure of the atmosphere. In addition, over 200 pictures were taken.
Mariner 6 is now in a solar orbit.
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Mariner 7 - USA Mars Flyby - 412 kg - (March
27, 1969)
Mariner 7 arrived at Mars on August 5, 1969, and passed within 3,551
kilometers of the planet's south pole region. Mariner 6 and 7 took measurements
of the surface and atmospheric temperature, surface molecular composition,
and pressure of the atmosphere. In addition, over 200 pictures were taken.
Mariner 7 is now in a solar orbit.
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Mariner 8 - USA Mars Flyby - (May 8, 1971)
Failed to reach Earth orbit.
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Kosmos 419 - USSR Mars Probe - (May 10, 1971)
Failed to leave Earth orbit.
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Mars 2 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (May 19, 1971)
The Mars 2 lander was released from the orbiter on November 27, 1971.
It crashed-landed because its breaking rockets failed - no data was returned
and the first human artifact was created on Mars. The orbiter returned
data until 1972.
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Mars 3 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,643 kg - (May 28, 1971)
Mars 3 arrived at Mars on December 2, 1971. The lander was released
and became the first successful landing on Mars. It failed after relaying
20 seconds of video data to the orbiter. The Mars 3 orbiter returned data
until August, 1972. It made measurements of surface temperature and atmospheric
composition.
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Mariner 9 - USA Mars Orbiter - 974 kg -
(May 30, 1971 - 1972)
Mariner 9 arrived at Mars on November 3, 1971 and was placed into orbit
on November 24. This was the first US spacecraft to enter an orbit around
a planet other than the Moon. At the time of its arrival a huge dust storm
was in progress on the planet. Many of the scientific experiments were
delayed until the storm had subsided. The first hi-resolution images of
the moons Phobos and Deimos
were taken. River and channel like features were discovered. Mariner 9
is still in Martian orbit.
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Mars 4 - USSR Mars Orbiter - 4,650 kg - (July 21, 1973)
Mars 4 arrived at Mars on February, 1974, but failed to go into orbit
due to a malfunction of its breaking engine. It flew past the planet with
in 2,200 kilometers of the surface. It returned some images and data.
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Mars 5 - USSR Mars Orbiter - 4,650 kg - (July 25, 1973)
Mars 5 entered into orbit around Mars on February 12, 1974. It acquired
imaging data for the Mars 6 and 7 missions.
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Mars 6 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (August 5, 1973)
On March 12, 1974, Mars 6 entered into orbit and launched its lander.
The lander returned atmospheric descent data, but failed on its way down.
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Mars 7 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Soft Lander - 4,650 kg - (August 9, 1973)
On March 6, 1974, Mars 7 failed to go into orbit about Mars and the
lander missed the planet. Carrier and lander are now in a solar orbit.
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Viking 1 - USA Mars Orbiter/Lander - 3,399
kg - (August 20, 1975 - August 7, 1980)
Viking 1 and 2 were designed after the Mariner spacecraft. They consisted
of an orbiter and lander. The orbiter weighed 900 kg and the lander 600
kg. Viking 1 went into orbit about Mars on June 19, 1976. The lander touched
down on July 20, 1976 on the western slopes of Chryse Planitia. Both landers
had experiments to search for Martian micro-organism. The results of these
experiments are still being debated. The landers provided detailed color
panoramic views of the Martian terrain. They also monitored the Martian
weather. The orbiters mapped the planet's surface, acquiring over 52,000
images. Viking 1 orbiter was deactivate on August 7, 1980 when it ran out
of altitude-control propellant. Viking 1 lander was accidentally shut down
on November 13, 1982, and communication was never regained.
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Viking 2 - USA Mars Orbiter/Lander - 3,399
kg - (September 9, 1975 - July 25, 1978)
Viking 1 and 2 were designed after the Mariner spacecraft. They consisted
of an orbiter and lander. The orbiter weighed 900 kg and the lander 600
kg. Viking 2 went into orbit about Mars on July 24, 1976. The lander touched
down on August 7, 1976 at Utopia Planitia. Both landers had experiments
to search for Martian micro-organism. The results of these experiments
are still being debated. The landers provided detailed color panoramic
views of the Martian terrain. They also monitored the Martian weather.
The orbiters mapped the planet's surface, acquiring over 52,000 images.
Viking 2 orbiter was deactivate on July 25, 1978 when it ran out of altitude-control
propellant. Viking 2 lander used Viking 1 orbiter as a communications relay,
and had to be shut down at the same time as the orbiter on August 7, 1980.
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Phobos 1 - USSR Mars Orbiter/Lander -
5,000 kg - (July 7, 1988)
Phobos 1 was sent to investigate the Martian moon Phobos.
It was lost en route to Mars through a command error on September 2, 1988.
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Phobos 2 - USSR Phobos Flyby/Lander -
5,000 kg - (July 12, 1988)
Phobos 2 arrived at Mars and was inserted into orbit on January 30,
1989. The orbiter moved within 800 kilometers of Phobos and then failed.
The lander never made it to Phobos.
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Mars Observer - USA Mars Orbiter (September 25, 1992)
Communication was lost with Mars Observer on August 21, 1993, just
before it was to be inserted into orbit.
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Mars Global Surveyor - USA Mars Orbiter
(November 7, 1996)
The Mars Global Surveyor is scheduled for launch in the late fall of
1996. It was initiated due to the loss of the Mars Observer. The basic
spacecraft design is after the Mars Observer.
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Mars 96 - Russia Orbiter & Lander -
(November 16, 1996)
Mars '96 consisted of an orbiter, two landers, and two soil penetrators
that were to reach the planet in September 1997. The rocket carring Mars
96 lifted off successfully, but as it entered orbit the rocket's fourth
stage ignited prematurely and sent the probe into a wild tumble. It crashed
into the ocean somewhere between the Chilean coast and Easter Island. The
spacecraft sank, carrying with it 270 grams of plutonium-238.
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Mars Pathfinder - USA Lander & Surface
Rover - (December 1996)
The Mars Pathfinder will deliver a stationary lander and a surface
rover to the Red Planet in July 1997. The six-wheel rover, named Sojourner,
will explore the area near the lander. The mission's primary objective
is to demonstrate the feasibility of low-cost landings on the martian surface.
This is the second mission in NASA's low-cost Discovery series.
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Planet B - Japan Mars Orbiter - (August 1998)
Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) will launch
this probe to study the Martian environment. This will be the first Japanese
spacecraft to reach another planet.
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Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter - USA Orbiter
- (December 1998)
This orbiter is the companion spacecraft to the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander.
The spacecraft will study the planet from polar orbit for at least 1.9
years using a variety of advanced instruments.
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Mars Surveyor '98 Lander - USA Lander -
(January 1999)
The lander is the companion spacecraft to the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter.
The spacecraft will study the environment at the martian south pole, seeking
to understand planet's climate and soil. It will be equpped with meteological
equipment to study the weather and a robotic arm to dig trenches in the
soil.
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Mars Surveyor 2001 - USA Mars Probe - (2001)
This is part of NASA's 10-year program to launch a series of probes
to the Red Planet during periods of favorable launch opportunities.
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Mars Surveyor 2003 - USA Mars Probe - (2003)
This is part of NASA's 10-year program to launch a series of probes
to the Red Planet during periods of favorable launch opportunities.
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Mars Surveyor 2005 - USA Mars Sample Return - (2005)
This mission will return soil samples for analysis on Earth.
Space History
Copyright © 1997 by Calvin J. Hamilton. All
rights reserved.