Editing Mars 6

{{Short description|Soviet flyby/lander mission to Mars (1973–1974)}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Mars 6
| image                 = Mars 6.jpg
| image_size            = 300px

| mission_type          = [[Mars]] flyby/lander<ref name=skyrocket1/>
| operator              = Soviet space program
| COSPAR_ID             = {{COSPAR|1973-052A}}<br>{{COSPAR|1973-052E}}
| SATCAT                = 6768<ref name=NSSDC/><br>7223
| mission_duration      = {{time interval|5 Aug 1973 17:45:48|12 Mar 1974 09:11:05|show=dhm}}

| spacecraft            = [[4MV|3MP]] No.50P
| manufacturer          = [[NPO Lavochkin]]
| launch_mass           = {{cvt|3260|kg|lb}}<ref name=NSSDC/>
| landing_mass          = {{cvt|635|kg|lb}}

| launch_date           = {{start-date|5 August 1973, 17:45:48|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC<ref name=LL/>
| launch_rocket         = [[Proton-K]]/[[Blok D|D]]  
| launch_site           = [[Baikonur Cosmodrome|Baikonur]] [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81|81/23]]
| launch_contractor     = [[Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center|Khrunichev]]
| last_contact          = <small>Lander:</small><br>{{end-date|12 March 1974, 09:11:05|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC

| orbit_reference       = [[Heliocentric orbit|Heliocentric]]<ref name=EA/>
| orbit_periapsis       = 1.01 AU
| orbit_apoapsis        = 1.67 AU
| orbit_inclination     = 2.2°
| orbit_period          = 567 days
| apsis                 = helion

|interplanetary         = 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
   |type                = flyby
   |object              = [[Mars]]
   |component           = Bus
   |arrival_date        = 12 March 1974, 09:05:53&nbsp;UTC
   |distance            = {{cvt|1600|km|mi}}
 }} 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
   |type                = lander_impact
   |object              = [[Mars]]
   |component           = Lander
   |arrival_date        = 12 March 1974, 09:11&nbsp;UTC
   |location            = {{coord|23.90|S|19.42|W|globe:mars}}
 }}

| programme             = '''[[Mars program]]'''
| previous_mission      = [[Mars 5]]
| next_mission          = [[Mars 7]]
}}

'''Mars 6''' ({{Langx|ru|Марс-6}}), also known as '''3MP No.50P''' was a [[Soviet Union|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.

== Spacecraft ==
The Mars 6 spacecraft carried an array of instruments to study Mars. The lander was equipped with a thermometer and barometer to determine the surface conditions, an accelerometer and radio altimeter for descent, and instruments to analyse the surface material including a [[mass spectrometer]].<ref name=DSC73/> The coast stage, or bus, carried a [[magnetometer]], plasma traps, cosmic ray and micrometeoroid detectors, and an instrument to study [[proton]] and [[electron]] [[flux]]es from the [[Sun]].<ref name=DSC73/>

Built by Lavochkin, Mars 6 was the first of two 3MP spacecraft launched to Mars in 1973 and was followed by [[Mars 7]]. Two orbiters, [[Mars 4]] and [[Mars 5]], were launched earlier in the 1973 Mars launch window and were expected to relay data for the two landers. However, Mars 4 failed to enter orbit, and Mars 5 failed after a few days in orbit.

== Launch ==
Mars 6 was launched by a Proton-K carrier rocket with a [[Blok D]] upper stage, flying from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/23]].<ref name=LL/> The launch occurred at 17:45:48 UTC on 5 August 1973, with the first three stages placing the spacecraft and upper stage into a [[low Earth orbit|low Earth]] [[parking orbit]] before the Blok D fired to propel Mars 6 into heliocentric orbit bound for Mars. The spacecraft performed a course correction on 13 August 1973.

Mars 6's lander separated from the flyby bus on 12 March 1974 at an altitude of {{convert|48000|km}} from the surface of Mars. The bus made a flyby with a closest approach of {{convert|1600|km}}. The lander encountered the atmosphere of Mars at 09:05:53 UTC, slowing from {{convert|5600|to|600|m/s|mph}} as it passed through the upper atmosphere. A parachute was then deployed to further slow the probe's descent, and [[retrorocket]]s were intended to fire during the last seconds before the probe reached the ground.

The spacecraft returned data for 224 seconds during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. However, at 09:11:05 UTC, with the spacecraft about to fire its retrorockets in preparation for landing, all contact was lost. Due to a design flaw, a chip aboard the spacecraft had degraded during the mission, and a large amount of the data which had been returned was unusable.<ref name=NSSDC/><!-- the flyby bus portion of the spacecraft did not land on Mars and remained in long-term heliocentric orbit -->
[[File:Mars map Viking 1 Mars 2 Mars Pathfinder Opportunity Mars 6.png|thumbnail|left|Map of the planet Mars, showing the locations of ''[[Viking 1]]'', [[Mars 2]], ''[[Mars Pathfinder]]'', ''[[Opportunity rover|Opportunity]]'' and Mars 6 (lower centre of the image, near the scale bar).]]
{{Clear}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [[List of artificial objects on Mars]]
* [[List of missions to Mars]]
* [[Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes]]

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="DSC73">{{cite book
| url= https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_monograph24.pdf
| author1= Asif A. Siddiqi
| title= Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000
| year= 2002
| publisher= [[NASA]]
| pages= 101–106
| id= NASA-SP-2002-4524
| isbn= 978-1-780-39324-7 }}
</ref>

<ref name="EA">{{cite web
| url= http://www.astronautix.com/m/marsm-73.html
| title= Mars M-73
| author1= Mark Wade
| work= Encyclopedia Astronautica
| access-date= 27 May 2024 }}
</ref>

<ref name="LL">{{cite web
| url= https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/derived/launchlog.html
| title= Launch Log
| author1= Jonathan McDowell
| work= Jonathan's Space Page
| access-date= 12 April 2013 }}
</ref>

<ref name="NSSDC">{{cite web
| url= https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1973-052A 
| title= Mars 6
| website= nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
| publisher= [[NASA]]
| access-date= 12 April 2013 }}
</ref>

<ref name="skyrocket1">{{cite web
| author1= Gunter D. Krebs
| url= https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/mars-73-lander.htm
| title= Mars 6, 7 (Mars M73 Lander #1, #2)
| work= Gunter's Space Page
| access-date= 13 April 2013 }}
</ref>

}}


{{Mars programme}}
{{Features and artificial objects on Mars}}
{{Orbital launches in 1973}}
{{Mars spacecraft}}
{{Portal bar|Spaceflight|Solar System}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}

[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1973]]
[[Category:1973 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:1973 in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Mars program]]
[[Category:Derelict satellites in heliocentric orbit]]
[[Category:4MV]]
[[Category:1974 on Mars]]