Posted on 04/24/2013 9:21:55 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The 10,250-pound Mars 3 spacecraft was comprised of an orbiter and a lander. Once in orbit, the two pieces separated and the 2,500 pound lander housed in a four foot diameter sphere started its descent to the surface. Using a 9.5 foot aeroshell to protect it from the fiery atmospheric entry, a parachute to slow its fall, and retrorockets fired in the final stage of landing, Mars 3 landed safely on December 2, 1971.
Once on the surface, the sides of the sphere opened like flower petals revealing the suite of instruments. Mars 3 went to study the planet’s atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind velocity, chemical composition of the soil, and the physical-mechanical properties of the soil’s surface layer. It had a scoop to look for signs of life in the soil.
With the lander safely on the surface and its science payload exposed to the elements, a robotic arm was programmed to pick up the small rover and put it on the surface where it would slowly ski around. The Prop-M couldn’t get far from its lander; a 50-foot umbilical, necessary for data and power transfer, kept the small rover tethered to the lander. But even without full autonomy the little rover could get itself out of trouble with a rudimentary hazard avoidance system. There was a bar on the rover’s leading side. If it hit something, like a rock, it would press the bar back and signal to the rover to turn. As an additional watchful eye, the rover would stop every five feet so the cameras could take a picture and figure out where it was safe to rover next. The rover’s tracks would also be photographed....
But the rover never made it to the surface.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
Martians.
...waiting for someone to post a photo of that History channel UFO guy with the crazy hair....
It's rather amazing it got that far.
These things weren’t reliable enough 40 years ago.
All your landers are belong to us.
Here's the problem right here. According to Strunk & White, "a zoo comprises animals", and so the spacecraft COMPRISED an orbiter and a lander.
... so no wonder.
It’ll be back, just like V’Ger.
Interesting- I had never heard of this one (always thought Viking was the first). Shouldn’t be surprised, though, because I remember they landed a couple of probes on Venus.
Great scorecard!
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