The 2MV planetary probe (short for 2nd generation Mars-Venus) is a designation for a common design used by early Soviet unmanned probes to Mars and Venus. It was an incremental improvement of earlier 1MV probes and was used for the Venera 5 and Venera 6 missions to Venus. It was standard practice of the Soviet space program to use standardized components as much as possible. All probes shared the same general characteristics and differed only in equipment necessary for specific missions. Each probe also incorporated improvements based on experience with earlier missions. It was superseded by the

3MV The 3MV planetary probe (short for 3rd generation Mars-Venus) is a designation for a common design used by early Soviet unmanned probes to Mars and Venus. It was an incremental improvement of earlier 2MV probes and was used for Zond 1, Zond 2 ...

family.

Design

The probe consisted of three primary parts.

Orbital Compartment

The core of the stack was a pressurized compartment called the Orbital Compartment measuring 2.1 meters with a diameter of 1.1 meters. Also mounted on the Orbital Compartment was a parabolic high-gain antenna, used for long-range communications.

Payloads

Depending on the mission, the probe would carry specific instruments or a detachable landing module.

Engine

Course correction capabilities were provided by a KDU-414 engine attached to the top of the Orbital Compartment.

Variants

*2MV-1:

Venera 2MV-1 No.1 Venera 2MV-1 No.1, also known as Sputnik 19 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme. Due to a problem with its upper stage it failed to leave low Earth orbit, and reentered the atmosphere ...

''(Sputnik 19)'',

Venera 2MV-1 No.2 Venera 2MV-1 No.2, also known as Sputnik 20 in the Western world, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme. Due to a problem with its upper stage it failed to leave low Earth orbit, and reentered the atmo ...

''(Sputnik 20)'' *2MV-2:

Venera 2MV-2 No.1 Venera 2MV-2 No.1, also known as Sputnik 21 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme, and was intended to make a flyby of Venus. Due to a problem with the rocket which launched it, it faile ...

''(Sputnik 21)'' *2MV-4:

Mars 2MV-4 No.1 Mars 2MV-4 No.1 also known as Sputnik 22 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Mars programme, and was intended to make a flyby of Mars, and transmit images of the planet back to Earth. Due to a problem ...

''(Sputnik 22)'',

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 ...

''(Mars 2MV-4 or Sputnik 21)'' *2MV-3:

Mars 2MV-3 No.1 Mars 2MV-3 No.1 also known as Sputnik 24 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Mars program, and was intended to land on the surface of Mars. Due to a problem with the rocket which launched it, it did no ...

''(Sputnik 24)'' *2V (V-69): Venera 5 ''(2V (V-69) No.330)'', Venera 6 ''(2V (V-69) No.331)''

References