Mars 5

Mars 5 (Russian: Марс-5), also known as 3MS No.53S was a Soviet spacecraft launched to explore Mars. A 3MS spacecraft launched as part of the Mars programme, it successfully entered orbit around Mars in 1974. However, it failed a few weeks later.[4]

Mars 5
Mission typeMars orbiter[1]
OperatorLavochkin
COSPAR ID1973-049A
SATCAT no.6754
Mission duration7 months 3 days (launch to last contact)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft3MS No.53S
ManufacturerLavochkin
Launch mass3440 kg[2]
Start of mission
Launch date25 July 1973, 18:55:48 (1973-07-25UTC18:55:48Z) UTC[3]
RocketProton-K/D
Launch siteBaikonur 81/24
End of mission
Last contact28 February 1974 (1974-03-01)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemAreocentric
Periareon altitude1,760 kilometres (1,090 mi)
Apoareon altitude32,586 kilometres (20,248 mi)
Inclination35.3 degrees
Epoch12 February 1974
Mars orbiter
Orbital insertion12 February 1974, 15:45 UTC[4]
 

Spacecraft

The Mars 5 spacecraft carried an array of instruments to study Mars. In addition to cameras, it was equipped with a radio telescope, an IR radiometer, multiple photometers, polarimeters, a magnetometer, plasma traps, an electrostatic analyser, a gamma-ray spectrometer, and a radio probe.[5] The Three cameras were a 52mm Vega, a 350mm Zulfar and a panoramic camera.[6]

Built by Lavochkin, Mars 5 was the second of two 3MS spacecraft launched to Mars in 1973, following Mars 4. A 3MS was also launched during the 1971 launch window as Kosmos 419. However, due to a launch failure, it failed to depart Earth orbit. In addition to the orbiters, two 3MP lander missions, Mars 6 and Mars 7, were launched during the 1973 window.

Launch

Mars 5 was launched by a Proton-K carrier rocket with a Blok D upper stage, flying from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/24.[3] The launch occurred at 18:55:48 UTC on 25 July 1973, with the first three stages placing the spacecraft and upper stage into a low Earth parking orbit before the Blok D fired to propel Mars 5 into heliocentric orbit bound for Mars.

The spacecraft performed course correction manoeuvres on 3 August 1973 and 2 February 1974.[5]

Mars orbit

The probe reached Mars on 12 February. At 14:44:25 the spacecraft's engines ignited to begin its orbit insertion burn, which successfully placed it into an Areocentric orbit with a periapsis of 1,760 kilometres (1,090 mi), an apoapsis of 32,586 kilometres (20,248 mi), and 35.3 degrees inclination.[4][5]

The spacecraft's pressurised instrument compartment began to leak as soon as the spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, which controllers believed to be the result of a micrometeoroid impact during orbital insertion. It ceased operations on 28 February, having returned 180 photographic frames, 43 of which were of usable quality.[5] The probe's original planned lifetime in mars orbit has been 3 months.[7] The probe's gamma ray spectrometer measured the uranium, thorium and potassium content of the surface the probe passed over and found they were similar to Igneous rocks on earth.[7] The exact ratios of the elements varied with the age of the surface.[7] Mars 5's Infrared radiometer reported a daytime surface temperature of between -44°C and -2°C.[6][7] Night time temperatures were measured at -73°C.[7]

The probe also made a number of observation's of mars's atmosphere.[7] It found an ozone layer at an altitude of 30km and observed clouds.[7]


See also

References
  1. Krebs, Gunter. "Interplanetary Probes". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  2. "Mars 5". Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  3. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  4. "Mars 5". US National Space Science Data Centre. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  5. Siddiqi, Asif A. (2002). "1973". Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000 (PDF). Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 24. NASA History Office. pp. 101–106.
  6. Harvey, Brian (2007). Russian Planetry Exploration History, Development, Legacy and Prospects. Springer-Praxis. p. 154. ISBN 9780387463438.
  7. Harvey, Brian (2007). Russian Planetry Exploration History, Development, Legacy and Prospects. Springer-Praxis. pp. 161–165. ISBN 9780387463438.

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