Sputnik 22

USSR

Spacecraft n°:

USSR spacecraft n°: 43

Launch data:

Designation	62 B Iota1 / 62057
Launch date	24 Oct 1962 - 17:55 UT
Launch site	B, LC1
Launch vehicle	Molniya 8K78 (T103-15)
Mission	Mars probe
Satellite type	2MV-4 n°1
Earth orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	180(?) / 485(?) km
Inclination	64,89°
Period	91,18 min
Decay	29 Oct 1962
Lifetime	5,00 days

Mars 1 / 2MV-4 - - Credit: NASA

FAILURE: 16 sec. after ignition of stage 4, Block L's S1.5400A1 engine exploded. A lubricant leak resulted in the jamming of a shaft in the turbopump gearbox and break up of the turbine.

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor
Customer
Platform
Mass at launch	6500 kg
Dry Mass	894 kg
Basic shape
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization

Mission:

Mars probe intended to photograph Mars on a flyby trajectory. It carried various scientific and communications equipment including a magnetometer probe, a high-gain antenna, an omnidirectional antenna, a semi-directional antenna, and photographic equipment.
The spacecraft broke into many pieces, some of which apparently remained in Earth orbit for a few days. This occurred during the Cuban missile crisis and was picked up by U.S. military radar installations, who originally feared it might by the start of a Soviet nuclear attack.

Ref.: #7, #8 - update: 2.01.05