Mars 7
| Mission type | Mars flyby/lander |
|---|---|
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| COSPAR ID | 1973-053A 1973-053E |
| SATCAT no. | 6776 7224 |
| Mission duration | 7 months, 16 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | 3MP No.51P |
| Manufacturer | NPO Lavochkin |
| Launch mass | 3,260 kg (7,190 lb) |
| Landing mass | 635 kg (1,400 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 9 August 1973, 17:00:17 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-K/D |
| Launch site | Baikonur 81/24 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 25 March 1974 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Flyby of Mars | |
| Spacecraft component | Bus |
| Closest approach | 9 March 1974 |
| Mars flyby (failed landing) | |
| Spacecraft component | Lander |
| Closest approach | 9 March 1974 |
| Distance | 1,300 km (810 mi) |
Mars 7 (Russian: Марс-7), also known as 3MP No.51P was a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1973 to explore Mars. A 3MP bus spacecraft which comprised the final mission of the Mars programme, it consisted of a lander and a coast stage with instruments to study Mars as it flew past. Due to a malfunction, the lander failed to perform a maneuver necessary to enter the Martian atmosphere, missing the planet and remaining in heliocentric orbit along with the coast stage.