The Marsnik program of unmanned spacecraft were the Soviet Union's first attempt at interplanetary exploration. Unmanned space missions are those using remote-controlled spacecraft. ...

Marsnik 1 (also known as Korabl 4 and Mars 1960A) was destroyed in a launch failure on October 10, 1960. It was reported by the NASA Administrator to the U.S. Congress in 1962 to be an attempt at a Mars flyby probe. Some Soviet scientists involved with the program at that time claim no knowledge of this mission, stating that only the launch on October 14 (Marsnik 2, also known as Korabl 5 and Mars 1960B) was an intended Mars mission. However V.G. Perminov, the leading designer of planetary spacecraft at the Lavochkin design bureau, states that this mission was indeed intended for Mars, was identical to Marsnik 2. Jump to: navigation, search October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search NASA Logo Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-09-01, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After launch, the third stage pumps on both Marsnik launchers were unable to develop enough thrust to commence ignition, so Earth parking orbit was not achieved. The spacecraft reached an altitude of 120 km before reentry.

Mission profile

The objectives of the mission were to investigate interplanetary space between Earth and Mars, to study Mars and return surface images from a flyby trajectory, and to study the effects of extended spaceflight on onboard instruments and provide radio communications from long distances.

Spacecraft and subsystems

The spacecraft was nearly identical to the Venera 1 design, a cylindrical body about 2 meters high with two solar panel wings, a 2.33 meter high-gain net antenna, and a long antenna arm, and had a mass of about 650 kg. It carried a 10 kg science payload consisting of a magnetometer on a boom, cosmic ray counter, plasma-ion trap, a radiometer, a micrometeorite detector, and a spectroreflectometer to study the CH band, a possible indicator of life on Mars. These instruments were mounted on the outside of the spacecraft. A photo-television camera was held in a sealed module in the spacecraft and could take pictures through a viewport when a sensor indicated the Sun-illuminated martian surface was in view. Venera 1 was the first spacecraft to fly by Venus. ... Jump to: navigation, search Solar Panel (photovoltaic array) A laundromat in California powered by solar panels on the roof. ... A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength of magnetic fields. ... Cosmic rays can loosely be defined as energetic particles originating outside of the Earth. ... A Radiometer is a device used to measure the radiant flux or power in Electromagnetic radiation. ... A Micrometeoroid (also micrometeorite, micrometeor) is a tiny meteoroid; a small particle of rock from space, usually weighing less than a gram, that poses a threat to space exploration. ... Jump to: navigation, search Life is a multi-faceted concept. ...

Attitude was controlled by a Sun-star sensor with attitude correction performed by a dimethylhydrazine/nitric acid bipropellant rocket engine. The spacecraft orientation was to be maintained so that the solar panels faced the Sun throughout the flight. Power was provided by the two-square meter solar panels which charged silver-zinc batteries. Radio communications were made using a decimeter band transmitter via the high gain antenna for spacecraft commands and telemetry. Radio bearing was used to maintain the antennas' orientation to Earth. Images were to be transferred using an 8-cm wavelength transmitter through the high-gain antenna. A fourth stage was added to the booster, the Molniya or 8K78, the new launcher was designated SL-6/A-2-e. Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) (1,1-Dimethylhydrazine) is a hypergolic rocket fuel ingredient, often used in combination with the oxidiser, nitrogen tetroxide. ... Jump to: navigation, search Flash point not applicable R/S statement R: ? S: ? RTECS number  ? Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... F-1 rocket engine (The kind used by the Saturn V.) A bipropellant rocket is a rocket that uses separate liquid fuel and oxidizer propellants. ... Jump to: navigation, search Molniya (lightning) was a military communications satellite system used by the Soviet Union. ...

See also

• Exploration of Mars
• Space exploration