Mars 2 / 3

Mission Profile

Mars 2 and Mars 3 were identical Soviet spacecraft launched in May 1971 aboard Proton-K/D rockets, each consisting of an orbiter and a lander, representing the most ambitious Mars exploration attempt made to that point. During the great Martian dust storm of 1971, both orbiters successfully entered Mars orbit and returned global maps of the dust-obscured surface, while the Mars 3 lander became the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on Mars on 2 December 1971. Mars 3 transmitted for only 20 seconds before contact was lost, likely due to interference from the global dust storm, leaving only a partial image before going silent. Mars 2 and Mars 3's orbital instruments still provided valuable measurements of Mars's atmosphere, surface temperature, and topography, advancing understanding of the planet despite the lander failures.