Zond 2
Encyclopedia
Zond 2, a member of the Soviet Zond program
, was the fifth Soviet spacecraft to attempt a flyby of Mars. (See Exploration of Mars
)
Zond-2 carried a phototelevision camera of the same type later used to photograph the Moon on Zond 3
. The camera system also included two ultraviolet spectrometers. As on Mars 1
, an infrared spectrometer was installed to search for signs of methane on Mars.
Zond 2 also carried six PPT
s that served as actuators of the attitude control system. They were the first PPTs used on a spacecraft. The PPT propulsion system was tested during 70 minutes.
Zond 2, a Mars 3MV-4A craft, was launched on November 30, 1964. During some maneuvering in early May, 1965, communications were lost. Running on half power due to the loss of one of its solar panel
s, the spacecraft flew by Mars on August 6, 1965 at 5.62 km/s, 1,500 km away from the planet.
Zond program
Zond was the name given to two distinct series of Soviet unmanned space program undertaken from 1964 to 1970. The first series based on 3MV planetary probe was intended to gather information about nearby planets...
, was the fifth Soviet spacecraft to attempt a flyby of Mars. (See Exploration of Mars
Exploration of Mars
The exploration of Mars has been an important part of the space exploration programs of the Soviet Union, the United States, Europe, and Japan. Dozens of robotic spacecraft, including orbiters, landers, and rovers, have been launched toward Mars since the 1960s...
)
Zond-2 carried a phototelevision camera of the same type later used to photograph the Moon on Zond 3
Zond 3
Zond 3 was a member of the Soviet Zond program sharing designation Zond, while being part of Mars 3MV project. It was unrelated to Zond spacecraft designed for manned circumlunar mission . Zond 3 completed a successful Lunar flyby, taking a number of good quality photographs for its time...
. The camera system also included two ultraviolet spectrometers. As on Mars 1
Mars 1
Mars 1, also known as 1962 Beta Nu 1, Mars 2MV-4 and Sputnik 23, was an automatic interplanetary station launched in the direction of Mars on November 1, 1962, the first of the Soviet Mars probe program, with the intent of flying by the planet at a distance of about 11,000 km...
, an infrared spectrometer was installed to search for signs of methane on Mars.
Zond 2 also carried six PPT
Pulsed plasma thruster
Pulsed plasma thrusters are a method of spacecraft propulsion also known as Plasma Jet Engines in general. They use an arc of electric current adjacent to a solid propellant, to produce a quick and repeatable burst of impulse...
s that served as actuators of the attitude control system. They were the first PPTs used on a spacecraft. The PPT propulsion system was tested during 70 minutes.
Zond 2, a Mars 3MV-4A craft, was launched on November 30, 1964. During some maneuvering in early May, 1965, communications were lost. Running on half power due to the loss of one of its solar panel
Photovoltaic module
A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
s, the spacecraft flew by Mars on August 6, 1965 at 5.62 km/s, 1,500 km away from the planet.
External references
- NASA (NSSDC) information on Zond 2
- [ftp://ftp.seds.org/pub/info/newsletters/ejasa/1991/jasa9104.txt "The Mystery of Zond 2" by Andrew Lepage, EJASA April, 1991]