Mars 3

Mars 3
Mission typeMars orbiter/lander
OperatorSoviet space program
COSPAR ID1971-049A
1971-049F
SATCAT no.5252
5667
Mission durationOrbiter:
1 year, 2 months and 25 days
Lander:
1 minute and 50 seconds
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type4M No.172
ManufacturerOKB-1
Launch massTotal:
4,650 kg (10,250 lb)
Orbiter:
3,440 kg (7,580 lb)
Lander:
1,210 kg (2,670 lb)[1]
Landing mass358 kg (789 lb)
Dry mass2,265 kg (4,993 lb)
Dimensions4.1 × 2.0 × 5.9 m (13.5 × 6.6 × 19.4 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date28 May 1971, 15:26:30 (1971-05-28UTC15:26:30Z) UTC
RocketProton-K/D
Launch siteBaikonur 81/23
ContractorKhrunichev
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
DeclaredAugust 22, 1972 (1972-08-22)
Last contactOrbiter:
July 1972[2]
Lander:
2 December 1971, 13:53:50 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemAreocentric[3]
Periareion altitude1,528 km (949 mi)
Apoareion altitude214,500 km (133,300 mi)
Inclination60°
Period12.67 days
Mars orbiter
Orbital insertionDecember 2, 1971
Mars lander
Landing dateDecember 2, 1971 13:52 UTC
Landing site45°S 202°E / 45°S 202°E / -45; 202 (Mars 3) (predicted)[4]

Mars 3 (lander) stamp
← Mars 2
Mars 4 →

Mars 3 was a robotic space probe of the Soviet Mars program, launched May 28, 1971, nine days after its twin spacecraft Mars 2. The probes were identical robotic spacecraft launched by Proton-K rockets with a Blok D upper stage, each consisting of an orbiter and an attached lander.

After the Mars 2 lander crashed on the Martian surface, the Mars 3 lander became the first spacecraft to attain a soft landing on Mars, on December 2, 1971. However, it failed 110 seconds after landing, having transmitted only a gray image with no details.[5] The Mars 2 orbiter and Mars 3 orbiter continued to circle Mars and transmit images back to Earth for another eight months.

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