Soviet Space Program Molniya 8K78 Mars 1
Molniya 8K78
Status
Success
Date
1 NOV 1962
16:14
Mission Overview
Modified Venera-type spacecraft designed to flyby Mars at a distance of about 11,000 km. Its closest approach with the planet was at a distance of approximately 193,000 km, probably due to a failure of its orientation system.
Rocket
Molniya 8K78
Mission Type
Robotic Exploration
Orbit
Mars flyby
Stages
4
Livestream
Not availableRocket Details
The Molniya was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage (Blok L) that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO. The basic R-7 core was also structurally strengthened and given more powerful engines. A rushed development produced multiple malfunctions of the upper stages, which led to its being replaced by the improved Molniya-M in 1964, but there were enough 8K78s left to continue flying them into 1967.
Height
43.44 m
Diameter
3 m
Launch Mass
305 T
Thrust
813 kN
