Astronomy:4MV

Short description: Design used for Soviet space probes to Mars and Venus

M-71 - 3MS version

M-73 - 3MP version

Astron

The 4MV planetary probe (short for 4th-generation Mars-Venus probe) is a designation for a common design used for Soviet unmanned probes to Mars and Venus. It was an incremental improvement of earlier 3MV probes and was used for Mars missions 4 to 7 and Venera missions 9 to 16. The same base design was used for some earth-orbiting space observatories.

Design

The spacecraft bus has a height of 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) and a solar panel span of 6.7 meters (22 ft). The central section of the bus has a diameter of about one meter (3 ft 3 in) and contained propellant. The main engine (KRD-425A) is encircled by a conical instrument compartment with the diameter of 2.35 meters (7 ft 9 in) at the base.

Variants

• Mars M-69: M-69 No.521, M-69 No.522
• Mars M-71|3MS:Cosmos 419 (M-71|3MS No.170), Mars 2 (M-71 No.171), Mars 3 (M-71 No.172)
• Prognoz: Prognoz 1 to 9, Intercosmos 23
• Mars M-73|3MS|3MP: Mars 4 (M-73|3MS No.52S), Mars 5 (M-73|3MS No.53S), Mars 6 (M-73|3MP No.50P), Mars 7 (M-73|3MP No.51P)
• Venera 4V-1: Venera 9 (4V-1 No.660), Venera 10 (4V-1 No.661), Venera 11 (4V-1 No.360), Venera 12 (4V-1 No.361), Venera 13 (4V-1 No.760), Venera 14 (4V-1 No.761)
• Astron: Astron
• Venera 4V-2: Venera 15 (4V-2 No.860), Venera 16 (4V-2 No.861)
• Granat: Granat

See also

• Soviet space program
• Venera
• 3MV