November 27, 1971: Mars 2 Lands

Thirty-five years ago today, the Soviet Union's Mars 2 spacecraft landed on the surface of the Red Planet. Although its descent system malfunctioned, Mars 2 accomplished its mission, capturing images of the planet's surface and sending valuable information about Mars' composition back to Earth.

Mars 2 had two main parts: a bus/orbiter module and a descent/lander module. The orbiter contained a hermetically-sealed compartment with radiometers, photometers, spectrometers, and a radiotelescope. Eight separate, narrow-angle, electrostatic plasma sensors were used to determine the speed, temperature, and composition of solar winds. A three-axis magnetometer for measuring the interplanetary and Martian fields was mounted on a boom extending from a solar panel.

The Mars 2 Lander was equipped with two television cameras that provided a 360-degree view of the planet's surface. It also featured a mass spectrometer for atmospheric analysis; temperature, pressure, and wind sensors; and a mechanical scoop for taking soil samples. Less than a month after its arrival, Mars 2 was joined by Mars 3, an identical Soviet spacecraft.