Editing Mars 1M (section)

== Spacecraft ==
'''[[Mars 1M No.1]]''', known in the West as '''Marsnik 1''', '''Mars 1960A''' and '''Korabl 4''', was destroyed in a launch failure on October 10, 1960. In 1962, [[NASA Administrator]] [[James E. Webb]] informed the [[United States Congress]] that NASA believed the mission was an attempt at a [[Mars flyby]] probe. Some Soviet scientists{{Who|date=August 2010}} involved with the program at that time claim no knowledge of this mission, stating that only the second launch was an intended Mars mission. However, [[V. G. Perminov]], the leading designer of planetary spacecraft at the [[Lavochkin design bureau]], states that this mission was indeed intended for Mars and was identical to the later mission.

'''[[Mars 1M No.2]]''', known in the West as '''Marsnik 2''', '''Korabl 5''' and '''Mars 1960B''', was launched on October 14, 1960.

Both Mars 1M spacecraft were launched by [[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya]] rockets. The unproven third stage malfunctioned on both flights as cavitation in the fuel lines prevented the engines from developing adequate thrust, and, as a result, neither spacecraft achieved its initial [[geocentric orbit|geocentric]] parking orbit. Mars 1M No.2 reached an altitude of 120&nbsp;km before reentry.

Soviet premier [[Nikita Khrushchev]] had planned to bring models of the Mars probes for showcasing at his visit to the UN that month, but as both launches failed, they remained packed.