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Mars 1M

Spacecraft · Russia

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Mars 1M
Mars 1M
Credit: Manufacturer Image

Russian Mars flyby probe. Mars probe intended to photograph Mars on a flyby trajectory.

The Mars probe had a mass of about 640 kg and carried a magnetometer, cosmic ray counter, plasma-ion trap, and micrometeorite detector.

Related

Country
Russia
Projects
Mars
Launch Sites
Baikonur, Baikonur LC1
Bibliography
118, 296, 474, 64, 65, 6678, 12799

Chronology

3 events

1959 December 10

  • Further development of Soviet Lunar and Planetary probes approved. - . Nation: Russia. Spacecraft: Luna E-6, Mars 1M. Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 1386-618 'On the Creation of AMS for Landing on the Moon. and Flights to Venus and Mars-- approving automated lunar and interplanetary spacecraft' was issued..

1960 October 10

14:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78. FAILURE: At T+300.9 sec, the launcher went out of control and the destruct command was given at T+324.2 sec - the engine of Stage 3 cut off after 13.32 s of burning.. Failed Stage: U.
  • Mars probe 1M s/n 1 failure. - . Payload: 1M s/n 1. Mass: 640 kg (1,410 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Program: Mars. Class: Mars. Type: Mars probe. Spacecraft Bus: 1MV. Spacecraft: Mars 1M. Decay Date: 1960-10-10 .

    This was the Soviet Union's first attempt at a planetary probe. Mars probe intended to photograph Mars on a flyby trajectory. The possible cause lay in resonance vibrations of upper stages during Stage 2 burning, which led to break of contact in the command potentiometer of the gyrohorizon. As a result a pitch control malfunctioned and the launcher began to veer off the desired ascent profile. On exceeding 7 degrees of veering in pitch, the control system failed. The upper stage with the payload reached an altitude of 120 km before burning up on re-entry into the atmosphere above East Siberia.

1960 October 14

13:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78. FAILURE: At T+290 sec Stage 3's engine 8D715K failed to ignite because a LOX leak froze kerosene in the fuel inlet to the pump on the launch pad due to a faulty LOX valve seal.. Failed Stage: U.
  • Mars probe 1M s/n 2 failure. - . Payload: 1M s/n 2. Mass: 640 kg (1,410 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Program: Mars. Class: Mars. Type: Mars probe. Spacecraft Bus: 1MV. Spacecraft: Mars 1M. Decay Date: 1960-10-14 . Mars probe intended to photograph Mars on a flyby trajectory. This was the Soviet Union's second attempt at a planetary probe. The upper stages and payload broke up on re-entry into the atmosphere..