Illustration of the Mars 3 spacecraft. Mars 3 was a Soviet unmanned space probe to Mars launched on 28th May 1971. It was composed of an orbiter and a lander (at top, white). The Mars 3 lander successfully performed the first ever soft landing on Mars on December 2, 1971, using aerodynamic braking, parachutes, and retrorockets. The lander ceased to function 90 seconds after landing, and after transmitting pictures for 20 seconds, due to unknown reasons.

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Size: 4134px × 3244px
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Photo credit: © DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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