Mars 2

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mars-2

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the launch system?Proton-K heavy-lift launch vehicle with a Blok D upper stage
2. What is the orbiter functionality?Successfully entered Mars orbit and transmitted scientific data
3. What was Mars 2 and why was it important?Mars 2 was a Soviet robot launched in 1971 that tried to land on Mars. It became the first human-made object to reach the planet, even though it crashed.
4. How did Mars 2 try to land on Mars?The mission had a lander that used a braking system to slow down during entry. The system failed, so the lander fell too fast and hit the surface.

Space Race: A 20th-century competition between the US and Soviet Union for spaceflight supremacy.
Atmospheric Entry: The process of a spacecraft entering a planet's atmosphere from space.
Remote Sensing: Gathering information about an object or area from a distance, typically using satellites or aircraft.