All Missions

Mariner 6

Mariner 6, launched in February 1969, was a resounding NASA success. During its Mars flyby, the probe returned 75 images and crucial data. Its instruments revealed an atmosphere composed mainly of CO2, measured very low surface pressures, and, most importantly, determined the south polar cap was frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice), not water ice.

Zond 2

Zond 2 (1964) was a failed Soviet Mars flyby mission. A mechanical failure during rocket separation prevented one solar panel from deploying, cutting power by half. This led to thermal problems and the loss of communication in May 1965. It flew past Mars silently, but was the first spacecraft to test plasma thrusters in space.

Mariner 4

Mariner 4, launched by NASA on November 28, 1964, was a monumental success. It performed the first successful flyby of Mars on July 14, 1965, returning 21 historic images. These revealed a desolate, crater-filled, Moon-like landscape with a much thinner atmosphere than expected, fundamentally altering the scientific perception of the Red Planet.

Mariner 3

Mariner 3 (1964) was NASA's first Mars flyby attempt. The launch was successful, but the fiberglass fairing protecting the probe failed to jettison. Trapped inside, the spacecraft could not deploy its solar panels. Its batteries died 8 hours later, leaving it inert in a solar orbit.

Mars 2MV-3 No.1 (Sputnik 24)

The Soviet Mars 2MV-3 No.1 (Sputnik 24) mission, launched on November 4, 1962, was an ambitious attempt at the first soft landing on Mars. Although the Molniya rocket reached Earth orbit, the Blok-L upper stage, damaged by severe vibrations during ascent, failed to ignite for trans-Mars injection. The craft remained stranded in orbit and disintegrated in the atmosphere.

Mars 1

Mars 1, launched by the USSR in 1962, was the first probe on a successful trajectory to Mars. It held 61 communication sessions, gathering interplanetary space data. On March 21, 1963, contact was lost at 106 million km due to a faulty valve in the attitude control system , which prevented the antenna from pointing to Earth.