Zond 2

The Soviet Zond 2.
Names	Zond 3MV-4 No. 2
Mission type	Mars flyby
Operator	OKB-1
COSPAR ID	1964-078C
SATCAT no.	00945
Spacecraft properties
Bus	3MV-4
Launch mass	890 kg (1,960 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	November 30, 1964, 13:12 UTC
Rocket	Molniya T103-16
Launch site	Baikonur LC-1/5
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Heliocentric
Eccentricity	0.216
Perihelion altitude	0.98 AU
Aphelion altitude	1.52 AU
Inclination	6.4°
Period	508 days
Velocity	5.62 km/s
Flyby of Mars
Closest approach	August 6, 1965
Distance	1,500 km (930 mi)
Zond ← Zond 1 Zond 3 →

Zond 2 was a Soviet space probe, a member of the Zond program, and was the sixth Soviet spacecraft to attempt a flyby of Mars.^[1][2] (See Exploration of Mars)^[3] It was launched on November 30, 1964 at 13:12 UTC onboard Molniya 8K78 launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, USSR. The spacecraft was intended to survey Mars but lost communication before arrival.

History

Zond-2 carried a phototelevision camera of the same type later used to photograph the Moon on Zond 3. The camera system also included two ultraviolet spectrometers. As on Mars 1, an infrared spectrometer was installed to search for signs of methane on Mars.

Zond 2 also carried six PPTs that served as actuators of the attitude control system. They were the first PPTs used on a spacecraft. The PPT propulsion system was tested during 70 minutes.

Zond 2, a Mars 3MV-4A craft, was launched on November 30, 1964. During some maneuvering in early May 1965, communications were lost. Running on half power due to the loss of one of its solar panels, the spacecraft flew by Mars on August 6, 1965 at 5.62 kilometres per second (3.49 mi/s), 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) away from the planet.

Scientific Instruments

1. Radiation Detector
2. Charged Particle Detector
3. Magnetometer
4. Piezoelectric Detector
5. Radio Telescope
6. Nuclear Component of Cosmic-ray Experiment
7. Ultraviolet and Roentgen Solar Radiation Experiment
8. Imaging System