Phobos program

The Phobos program (Russian: Фобос, Fobos) was an uncrewed space mission consisting of two probes launched by the Soviet Union to study Mars and its moonPhobos. Phobos 1 was launched on 7 July 1988, and Phobos 2 on 12 July 1988.

Phobos 1 suffered a terminal failure en route to Mars. Phobos 2 attained Mars orbit and made several passes collecting data on the Martian system, but contact was lost before the final phase, prior to deployment of the planned Phobos landers.

Phobos 1 and 2 were of a new spacecraft design, the 1F, succeeding the 4MV type used in the Veneraplanetary missions of 1975–1985, and the 5VK design last used during the Vega 1 and Vega 2 missions to Comet Halley. They each had a mass of 2600 kg (6220 kg with orbital insertion hardware attached), and were launched aboard a Proton-K rocket.

The program featured cooperation from 14 other nations, including Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, France, West Germany, and the United States (which contributed the use of its NASA Deep Space Network for tracking the twin spacecraft).