When did the Soviet Union launch Mars 3?
The Soviet Union launched Mars 3 on the 28th of May 1971 at 15:26:30 UTC. This spacecraft rode atop a Proton-K rocket with a Blok D upper stage.
Questions about Mars 3
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What happened during the Mars 3 landing on the 2nd of December 1971?
Mars 3 achieved humanity's first soft landing on the 2nd of December 1971. The lander transmitted its first signals to the orbiter 90 seconds after landing before transmission stopped after only 110 seconds of operation following the landing.
Why did the Mars 3 lander stop transmitting data so quickly?
Transmission stopped after only 110 seconds of operation following the landing and the cause remains unknown to this day among engineers. Powerful dust storms likely damaged the communications equipment through electrical discharge.
How long did the Mars 3 orbiter operate and what data did it collect?
The Mars 3 orbiter sent back data covering December 1971 to March 1972 and transmissions continued through August 1972 before official mission completion. Twenty orbits yielded a total of 60 pictures for analysis showing mountains as high as 22 kilometers above the Martian surface.
When was potential evidence of the Mars 3 lander discovered by NASA?
NASA announced potential images of the Mars 3 lander on the 11th of April 2013. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured what may be the parachute and retrorockets using HiRISE camera technology.