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Mars Missions

United States of America:

Launch		Mission	   Arrival at Mars	Main Results

Nov. 5, 1964	Mariner 3	 ---- 		Shroud failed to 
						jettison properly, 
						spacecraft did not 
						encounter Mars.  
						Transmissions ceased 
						9 hrs. after launch.

Nov. 28, 1964	Mariner 4   July 14, 1965	Flyby.  First close-up 
						images of Mars, 
						confirming existence 
						of craters, refuting 
						the idea of canals.

Feb. 24, 1969	Mariner 6   July 31, 1969	Flyby.  High resolution 
						images of Mars surface.

Mar. 27, 1969	Mariner 7   Aug. 5, 1969	Flyby.  High resolution 
						images of Mars southern 
						hemisphere.

May 8, 1971	Mariner 8	  ---- 		Malfunctioned shortly 
						after launch, now on 
						bottom of Atlantic Ocean.

May 30, 1971	Mariner 9   Nov. 13, 1971	Orbiter.  First probe to 
						orbit another planet.  
						Detailed photos of volcanoes, 
						canyon, dunes, channels, 
						pole caps, and the moons 
						Phobos and Deimos.  
						Mapped 100% of Mars.

Aug. 20, 1975	Viking 1   Jun. 19, 1976 (orbit)  Orbiter and Lander.  
			   July 20, 1976(landed)  First US attempt to 
						  soft-land on another 
						  planet was successful.  
						  Viking 1 orbiter 
						  functioned until Aug. 
						  1980; Viking 1 lander 
						  until November 1982.

Sept. 9, 1975	Viking 2   Aug. 7, 1976 (orbit)	  Orbiter and Lander.  
			   Sept. 3, 1976(landed)  Viking 2 orbiter 
						  functioned until 
						  July 1978 the lander 
						  until April 1980.

Sept. 25, 1992	Mars Observer	  ---		Orbiter.  Communication
						was lost August 21, 1993.
						Possible rupture of fuel
						line.  (Updated since the 
						August 1993 Curriculum 
						Guide-- K.Edgett, 2/7/94)
					          

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics:

Launch		Mission   Arrival at Mars	Main Results

Oct. 14, 1960	no name	         ---- 		failed to reach 
						Earth orbit 

Oct. 24, 1962	no name	         ---- 		failed to leave 
						Earth orbit

Nov. 1, 1962	Mars 1	         ---- 		flew out past 
						Mars orbit, never 
						came near Mars.  
						Contact lost enroute.

Nov. 4, 1962	no name	          ----	 	failed to leave 	
						Earth orbit

Nov. 30, 1964	Zond 2	          ---- 		contact lost after 
						5 months

Jul. 18, 1965	Zond 8	          ---- 		photographed the Moon, 
						then flew out past 
						Mars orbit (did not 
						look at Mars itself).

Mar. 27, 1969	no name	          ---- 		rocket booster failed

Apr, 14, 1969	no name	          ----	 	rocket booster failed

May 10, 1971	Kosmos 419	  ---- 		stranded in Earth orbit

May 19, 1971	Mars 2	   Nov. 27, 1971	Orbiter and Lander.  
						Landing capsule was first 
						human artifact on Mars.  
						It was supposed to be a 
						soft landing but instead 
						it crashed.  

May 28, 1971	Mars 3	   Dec. 2, 1971		Orbiter and Lander.  
						Lander successfully 
						soft-landed on Mars, 
						but transmitter failed 
						after 20 seconds.  

July 21, 1973	Mars 4	   Feb. 10, 1974	Failed to orbit Mars.  
						Took some pictures as 
						it flew past.

July 25, 1974	Mars 5	   Feb. 12, 1974	Orbited Mars.  Operated 
						a few days, returned 
						useful photos.

Aug. 5, 1973	Mars 6	   Mar. 12, 1974	Flyby and Lander.  Lander 
						transmitted data during 
						descent, but failed 
						before reaching surface.

Aug. 9, 1973	Mars 7	   Mar. 9, 1974	 	Flyby and Lander.  Both 
						missed reaching the 
						planet.

July 7, 1988	Phobos 1	 ---- 		Lost signal enroute to Mars

July 12, 1988	Phobos 2   Jan. 29, 1989	Orbited Mars, lost signal 
						Mar. 1989, but some useful 
						data returned.  Did not use 
						landers for the moon Phobos.