Mars 5

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

18:55:48

Wednesday July 25, 1973

Mission Details

Mars 5

Wiki

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. 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. The Three cameras were a 52mm Vega, a 350mm Zulfar and a panoramic camera. 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.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

3,440 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Proton-K/Block D

Active 1967 to 1976

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center logo

Manufacturer

Khrunichev

Rocket

Height: 56.14m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 18,900 kg

GTO: 9,000 kg

Liftoff Thrust

8,840 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 3.9m

Height: 8.9m

Stages

4

Launch Site

Site 81/24

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Fastest Turnaround

6 days

Stats

Proton-K


38th

Mission

5th

Mission of 1973

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center


763rd

Mission

44th

Mission of 1973

1973


55th

Orbital launch attempt