Mars 3

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-3

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 orbital insertion?Achieved orbit around Mars following its launch on May 28, 1971
2. What is the lander success?Successfully performed the first soft landing on Mars on December 2, 1971
3. What made the Mars 3 mission special?Mars 3 was the first spacecraft to softly land on Mars, showing that a gentle touchdown on the red planet is possible.
4. Why did the Mars 3 lander stop talking after landing?The lander stopped communicating just 110 seconds after touching down, so it could only send a short, low‑resolution picture.

Soviet Mars program: A series of unmanned missions by the Soviet Union aimed at exploring the planet Mars, conducted from 1960 to 1973.
Blok D upper stage: A versatile and powerful upper stage rocket engine used in Soviet and Russian launch vehicles for interplanetary missions and satellite deployment.
Atmospheric entry: The process of an object entering a planet's atmosphere from space, involving intense heat and deceleration.
Orbital reconnaissance: The systematic observation and mapping of a celestial body from orbit using cameras and scientific instruments.