Mars 2

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Mars 2

Mission type	Mars orbiter and lander
Operator	Soviet space program
COSPAR ID	Orbiter: 1971-045A Lander: 1971-045D
SATCAT no.	Orbiter: 5234 Lander: 5739
Mission duration	1 year, 3 months and 3 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	3MS No. 171
Manufacturer	OKB-1
Launch mass	Combined: 4,650 kg (10,250 lb) Orbiter: 3,440 kg (7,580 lb) Lander: 1,210 kg (2,670 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date	19 May 1971, 16:22:44 (1971-05-19UTC16:22:44Z) UTC
Rocket	Proton K/D
Launch site	Baikonur 81/24
End of mission
Disposal	Decommissioned
Deactivated	August 22, 1972 (1972-08-22)
Last contact	last data transmission July 1972[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Areocentric[3]
Periareion altitude	1,380 kilometres (860 mi)
Apoareion altitude	24,940 kilometres (15,500 mi)
Inclination	48.9°
Period	18 hours
Mars orbiter
Orbital insertion	27 November 1971
Orbits	362
Mars impact (failed landing)
Spacecraft component	Mars 2 Lander
Impact date	27 November 1971
Impact site	45°S 47°E / 45°S 47°E / -45; 47 (Mars 2 Lander impact)
Mars 2 stamp Mars program ← Kosmos 419 Mars 3 →

The Mars 2 was an uncrewed space probe of the Mars program, a series of uncrewed Mars landers and orbiters launched by the Soviet Union beginning 19 May 1971. The Mars 2 and Mars 3 missions consisted of identical spacecraft, each with an orbiter and an attached lander. The orbiter is identical to the Venera 9 bus. The type of bus/orbiter is the 4MV. They were launched by a Proton-K heavy launch vehicle with a Blok D upper stage. The lander of Mars 2 became the first human-made object to reach the surface of Mars, although the landing system failed and the lander was lost.