Mars 1

Mars 1 was a Soviet 2MV Mars flyby probe launched on November 1, 1962. It was intended to photograph the planet and investigate its atmosphere while also measuring magnetic fields, charged particles and dust during the cruise. The photographic system exposed film that would later be scanned for transmission to Earth. A leaking nitrogen valve compromised the attitude-control system soon after departure. Controllers established a stabilizing spin to keep the solar panels illuminated, but further course corrections were not possible. The spacecraft continued returning interplanetary measurements until March 21, 1963, when its antenna orientation no longer supported contact. It silently passed Mars in June at roughly 197,000 kilometers, too late to provide the intended planetary observations. Its useful cruise science therefore should be distinguished from the unfulfilled close-flyby objective.