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Further Reading

Third Generation Mars

The former Soviet Union attempted to carry out the two Phobos probes of mars and its environment in 1988 and 1989. In both cases the probes did manage to arrive safely in Mars orbit and begin their scientific programs.

Phobos-1

Phobos-1 was launch on July 7, 1988 with a total mass of 6,220 kilograms with a final spacecraft mass after orbital insertion around Mars of 2,600 kilograms. Its mission was to study the surface and atmosphere, plasma environment of Mars in addition to exploring the moons of Mars for its name sake Phobos and second moon Deimos. Additionally both spacecraft studied and reported on the interplanetary environment while in transit to Mars and also made solar observations. Fourteen countries as well as the European Space Agency participated in that international effort. This was only to have the probe die on them due to a bad software upload with a programming error on August 29-30, 1988. That subsequently caused the spacecraft loss on September 2, 1988 because of the programming error impact on its attitude control system shutting it down. In turn this caused the spacecraft loss of power because it did not keep it focused on the Sun to charge its batteries. Up to that point the mission had gone very well considering the lack of a good success record from previous Soviet mars attempts.

Phobos-2

Phobos-2 was launched on July 12, 1988 was the second spacecraft in the international cooperative series when the former Soviet Union still existed. Like Phobos-1 this Phobos-2 mission operated quite normally through the interplanetary transit and orbital insertion parts of the mission with no major issues apparent. Only during the approach phase of the mission to the Mars moon Phobos did the spacecraft sudden loss take place. Ostensive the reason for the probes loss as it approached within fifty meters of Phobos to deposit two impact Lander's for sampler detection by the on board spacecraft sensors is believed to have been due to the on board computer. In any case the actual dynamics of the Phobos moon's orbit uncertainties and other issues related to that unknown at the time probably contributed to the spacecraft crashing into Phobos causing its ultimate demise on March 27, 1989.