Goals: Like its twin, Mars 2, which arrived at Mars five days
earlier, Mars 3 had two objectives: to place an orbiter around
Mars and to put a lander on the Martian surface in working
order. Each was to take pictures and collect information about
the planet. In addition, the orbiter was to monitor the solar
wind and the interplanetary and Martian magnetic fields.
Accomplishments: The lander was the first to achieve a
survivable landing on the Martian surface. It began transmitting
a TV image of the surface immediately after landing, but stopped
permanently after only 20 seconds. Controllers surmised that the
probe shorted out due to the electrical effects of a violent,
planet-wide dust storm. The orbiter successfully attained Mars
orbit, though one in which it took nearly 13 days to complete
one orbit instead of the planned 25 hours. None of the pictures
from the lander or orbiter showed much detail, but the orbiter
transmitted meaningful scientific information until contact was
lost in July 1972.