The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_space_program" id="mw7Q" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Soviet space program">Soviet space program</a>'s <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_probe_program" id="mw7g" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Mars probe program"><i id="mw7w">Mars 2</i></a> orbiter releases a descent module. It malfunctions and crashes, but it is the first man-made object to reach the surface of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars" id="mw8A" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Mars">Mars</a>.