The 4MV planetary probe (short for 4th-generation Mars-Venus probe) is a designation for a common design used for

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

unmanned probes to Mars and Venus. It was an incremental improvement of earlier 3MV probes and was used for Mars missions 2 to 7 and Venera missions 9 to 16. The same base design was used for some earth-orbiting space observatories.

Design

The spacecraft bus has a height of and a solar panel span of . The central section of the bus has a diameter of about and contained propellant. The main engine (KTDU-425) is encircled by a conical instrument compartment with the diameter of at the base. While Mars 2,3 and Kosmos 419 used the KTDU-425, 4MV buses after 1971 used the KTDU-425A).

Variants

*Mars M-71, 3MS:

Kosmos 419 Kosmos 419 (russian: Космос 419 meaning ''Cosmos 419''), also known as 3MS No.170 was a failed Soviet spacecraft intended to visit Mars. The spacecraft was launched on 10 May 1971, however due to an upper stage malfunction it failed to dep ...

(M-71, 3MS No.170),

Mars 2 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 orbit ...

(M-71 No.171),

Mars 3 Mars 3 was a robotic space probe of the Soviet Mars program, launched May 28, 1971, nine days after its twin spacecraft Mars 2. The probes were identical robotic spacecraft launched by Proton-K rockets with a Blok D upper stage, each consisting ...

(M-71 No.172) *Prognoz: Prognoz 1 to 9, Intercosmos 23 *Mars M-73, 3MS, 3MP:

Mars 4 Mars 4 (), also known as 3MS No.52S was a Soviet Union, Soviet spacecraft intended to explore Mars. A 3MS spacecraft launched as part of the Mars programme, it was intended to enter orbit around Mars in 1974. However, computer problems prevented ...

(M-73, 3MS No.52S),

Mars 5 Mars 5 (), also known as 3MS No.53S was a Soviet spacecraft launched to explore Mars. A 3MS spacecraft launched as part of the Mars programme, it successfully entered orbit around Mars in 1974. However, it failed a few weeks later. Spacecraft ...

(M-73, 3MS No.53S),

Mars 6 Mars 6 (), also known as 3MP No.50P was a Soviet spacecraft launched to explore Mars. A 3MP bus spacecraft launched as part of the Mars program, it consisted of a lander, and a coast stage with instruments to study Mars as it flew past. Spacecr ...

(M-73, 3MP No.50P),

Mars 7 Mars 7 (), also known as 3MP No.51P was a Soviet Union, Soviet spacecraft launched in 1973 to explore Mars. A 3MP bus spacecraft which comprised the final mission of the Mars programme, it consisted of a Lander (spacecraft), lander and a coast st ...

(M-73, 3MP No.51P) *Venera 4V-1:

Venera 9 Venera 9 (russian: Венера-9, lit=Venus-9), manufacturer's designation: 4V-1 No. 660, was a Soviet uncrewed space mission to Venus. It consisted of an orbiter and a lander. It was launched on June 8, 1975, at 02:38:00 UTC and had a m ...

(4V-1 No.660),

Venera 10 Venera 10 (russian: Венера-10 meaning ''Venus 10''), or 4V-1 No. 661, was a Soviet uncrewed space mission to Venus. It consisted of an orbiter and a lander. It was launched on June 14, 1975, 03:00:31 UTC and had a mass of 5033 kg (1 ...

(4V-1 No.661),

Venera 11 The Venera 11 (russian: Венера-11 meaning ''Venus 11'') was a Soviet uncrewed space mission which was part of the Venera program to explore the planet Venus. Venera 11 was launched on 9 September 1978 at 03:25:39 UTC. Separating from its ...

(4V-1 No.360),

Venera 12 The Venera 12 (russian: Венера-12 meaning Venus 12) was an uncrewed Soviet space mission designed to explore the planet Venus. Venera 12 was launched on 14 September 1978 at 02:25:13 UTC. After separating from its flight platform on 19 ...

(4V-1 No.361),

Venera 13 Venera 13 (russian: Венера-13 meaning Venus 13) was part of the Soviet Venera program meant to explore Venus. Venera 13 and 14 were identical spacecraft built to take advantage of the 1981 Venus launch opportunity. The probes were launched ...

(4V-1 No.760),

Venera 14 Venera 14 (russian: Венера-14 meaning Venus 14) was a probe in the Soviet Venera program for the exploration of Venus. Venera 14 was identical to the Venera 13 spacecraft, built to take advantage of the 1981 Venus launch opportunity. Vene ...

(4V-1 No.761) *Astron:

Astron Astron may refer to: * Mitsubishi Astron engine * ASTRON, the Dutch foundation for astronomy research, operating the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope and LOFAR * Astron (comics), a fictional character, a member of the Marvel Comics group The ...

*Venera 4V-2:

Venera 15 Venera 15 (russian: Венера-15 meaning ''Venus 15'') was a spacecraft sent to Venus by the Soviet Union. This uncrewed orbiter was to map the surface of Venus using high resolution imaging systems. The spacecraft was identical to Venera 16 ...

(4V-2 No.860),

Venera 16 Venera 16 (russian: Венера-16 meaning ''Venus 16'') was a spacecraft sent to Venus by the Soviet Union. This uncrewed orbiter was to map the surface of Venus using high resolution imaging systems. The spacecraft was identical to Venera 1 ...

(4V-2 No.861) *Granat:

Granat The International Astrophysical Observatory "GRANAT" (usually known as Granat; russian: Гранат, lit. ''pomegranate''), was a Soviet (later Russian) space observatory developed in collaboration with France, Denmark and Bulgaria. It was launc ...

References

Soviet Mars missions Soviet Venus missions Soviet space probes {{USSR space probes

Design

Variants

See also

References