Mars Missions 1960 - 1995

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.
                                                        First US attempt to soft-land on 
							another planet was successful.
                                July 20, 1976(landed)   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.
                                                        Viking 2 orbiter functioned until 
							July 1978, the lander until 
                                Sept. 3, 1976(landed)   April 1980. 

Sept. 25, 1992  Mars Observer           ----            Orbiter.
                                                        Lost enroute, August 21, 1993.

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 went 
							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 crashed instead.
 
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               ----               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.