Dec 2 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R.'s Mars 3 probe (launched May 29) reached vicinity of Mars and ejected capsule which softlanded on planet. U.S.S.R. did not announce landing until Dec. 7 and did not release details until Dec. 19. After separation, capsule bearing Soviet coat of arms entered Mars atmosphere and parachuted to softlanding in Mars southern hemisphere between Electris and Phaetonis in area 45° south latitude and 158° west longitude. Mars 3 continued flight into orbit with 1500-km (930-mi) periapsis and 11-day period. Tass said signals from landing capsule "were received and recorded on board . . Mars 3 and later . . . transmitted to the earth on December 2-5. The video-signals received from the surface of Mars were brief and suddenly discontinued." (FBIs-Sov-71-236, 12/8/71, LI)
U.S.S.R. launched two satellites. Intercosmos 5, launched from Kapustin-Yar, entered orbit with 1055-km (655.6-mi) apogee, 197- km (122.4-mi) perigee, 97.2-min period, and 48.4° inclination. Satellite-joint project of U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia-would continue investigation of radiation and dynamics of corpuscular flux in near-earth space and investigation of nature and spectrum of low-frequency electromagnetic oscillations in natural plasma. Intercosmos 5 reentered April 7, 1972. Cosmos 461, launched from Plesetsk, entered orbit with 508-km (315.7-mi) apogee, 488-km (303.2-mi) perigee, 94.5-min period, and 69.2° inclination. (FBns-Sov-71-233, 12/3/71, LI; L2; GSFC SSR, 12/31/71; 4/30/72; SBD, 12/7/71, 164)
Thomas O'Toole described in Washington Post effects of Mariner 9 data on idea that life existed on Mars: "In the three weeks that it has spent in Martian orbit so far, Mariner 9 has found that the planet's atmosphere is even thinner than it was thought to be-about 260 times as thin as Earth's atmosphere. It also found Martian surface temperatures to be no higher than 80 degrees below zero. To date, Mariner 9's cameras have been frustrated by a storm that has covered almost all of Mars with dust for more than two months. It's almost impossible to imagine a global dust storm, and when one thinks of a global storm lasting for two months, it's even harder to imagine life surviving such cataclysmic weather conditions. . . . now the dust has begun to settle on the planet, revealing striking features that man has never seen before. Nevertheless, the idea that there might be life among those features is one that seems to be a dying one." (W Post, 12/2/71, A19)
NASA selected Douglas Aircraft Co., Grumman Aerospace Corp., and Lockheed-Georgia Co. for negotiations of three separate $1.5- million, six-month contracts for design phase of QUESTOL (quiet, experimental sTOL) program. After completion of design phase one contractor would be selected to fabricate two experimental transport aircraft for flight research program. (NASA Release 71-238)
Description by Soviet professor of physics and mathematics M. Marov of Mars 2 scientific program to Soviet journalists was reported by Tass: "Registration of various radiations from Mars, ranging from ultra-violet light to radio waves, by sputniks from a comparatively short distance will give much more complete information about Mars. Certain findings which are still quite inadequate are readily available. It has been established that at least nine-tenths of the Martian atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. Nitrogen is practically absent, while water vapors are very scant. The thin atmosphere of Mars is extremely heterogeneous. Its structure varies widely with seasons, the time of day and night. The structure of the surface in the areas explored is very heterogeneous too." (FBIS-Sov-71-233, 12/3/71, L3)
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