Author Topic: Mars 5M mission (Read 7556 times)

Josh_from_Canada · « **on:** 01/21/2022 07:35 pm »

Hi, I'm wondering where I can get info about the canceled Soviet mission to return samples from the surface of Mars.

Yiosie · « **Reply #1 on:** 01/21/2022 08:09 pm »

RussianSpaceWeb has a ton of good information about Mars 5M here:

USSR's 5M project: The first effort to return soil from Mars!

libra · « **Reply #2 on:** 01/22/2022 06:48 am »

Yes it's one of the best sources around. Also (if you read spanish language) this is great, too.
https://danielmarin.naukas.com/2009/01/29/5nm-un-pedacito-de-marte-en-la-tierra/

4NM was a big Marsokhod to be launched by a N-1
5NM was a Mars sample return ship, also to be launched by a N-1

Both 20 metric tons monsters. They hoped to steal Viking thunder, launching in 1975. So the probe would have been called M-75 (as in, M-69, M-71 and M-73).

After it was canned in May 1974, the plan was reworked with multiple Proton launches and automated Soyuz docking systems. Now the ship "only" weighed 8.5 metric tons. Planned launch date was 1979, so M-79 it was.

4M was the Marsokhod
5M was the sample return mission

The entire thing lasted from summer 1970 (when Luna 16 brought back lunar samples) to 1978.

And some components were built. Which made it the less "vapor ware" MSR plan until, well, the present day.