 A Mars 1M spacecraft | |
| Names | Marsnik-1, Korabl-4, Mars 1960A |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Mars flyby |
| Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Mars 1M |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
| Launch mass | 650 kilograms (1,430 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 10 October 1960, 14:27:49 (1960-10-10UTC14:27:49Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Molniya 8K78/L1-4M |
| Launch site | Baikonur1/5 |
| Instruments | |
| 1) Ultraviolet Spectrograph 2) Radiation Detector3) Cosmic-Ray Detector4) Television Imaging System (Removed) 5) Spectroreflectometer (Removed) | |
Mars 1M No.1, designatedMars 1960A by NASA analysts and dubbedMarsnik 1 by the Western media, was the firstspacecraft launched as part of theSoviet Union'sMars programme.[1] AMars 1M spacecraft, it was intended for conducting flight testing system and to study the interplanetary environment between Earth andMars, however it was lost in a launch failure before it could begin its mission.[2][3]
The successes ofLuna 2 andLuna 3 in 1959 raised Soviet morale especially as the United States had yet to make a successful lunar mission (and in fact would not until 1965). Two follow-ups to Luna 3 in April 1960 failed due to launch vehicle malfunctions, but program planners promised Soviet premierNikita Khrushchev further "space firsts", including missions to Mars andVenus. The8K72 rocket used for the Luna missions was inadequate to send a payload to either planet, so an entirely new, more powerful R-7 derivative had to be developed. A ten month crash program resulted in the8K78 booster, which incorporated an R-7 core with more powerful first stage engines and a bigger upper stage, the Blok I. It also included a fourth stage, the Blok L, which would be fired in a parking orbit and allow a more accurate trajectory than the direct ascent of the Luna missions.
The two Mars probes were delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 30 August 1960. Ground testing of the probes on 9 September resulted in multiple failures of various systems and components. Due to the numerous problems, it was impossible to launch during the optimal period of the Mars window in late September. The Blok L stage was also delayed but appeared to work well during preliminary ground tests. The 8K78 rocket was erected on LC-1 on 8 October. The optimal launch window would have been from 20 September to 25 September but the delay meant that the size of the payload had to be reduced. The camera and another instrument designed to test for the presence of life on Mars were removed due to malfunctions and weight limitations. The spacecraft would reach nearest approach to Mars on about 15 May 1961.[4]
Mars 1M No.1 was the payload of theMolniya 8K78 rocket's maiden flight. The rocket, which hadserial number L1-4M, was a new derivative of theR-7 series, with aBlok-I third stage replacing theBlok-E used on theVostok, and a newBlok-L fourth stage. The vehicle lifted off fromSite 1/5 at theBaikonur Cosmodrome at 14:27:49 UTC on 10 October 1960 and steered downrange smoothly. The new 8D74K engines in the first stage worked well and everything went according to plan through core stage burn.[5][6]
Source:[7]
Television Imaging System and Spectroreflectometer were removed due to mass constraints.
It was determined that during the course of the second stage of flight, resonant vibration in the third stage of therocket caused the malfunction of agyroscope and it damaged theattitude control system of the carrier rocket. Following this issue, the horizon sensor disconnected from thebooster and the rocket descended from its normal flight path angle. As a consequence the rocket's third stage was commanded to stop ignition after five minutes of flight. During this stage thespacecraft flew to an altitude of 120 kilometres (75 mi) before re-entry. Thereafter, the spacecraft re-entered and disintegrated inLEO and its debris fell overSiberia 4,800 kilometres (3,000 mi) down range. It failed to achievelow Earth orbit.[8][9]
 | This article about one or more spacecraft of theSoviet Union is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
.jpg)
.jpg)