Space Probe History

[steve_bank]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Solar_System_probes

The early Russian failures stand out.

 

[Jokodo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Solar_System_probes

The early Russian failures stand out.

In what way?  Venera_7 was the first successful landing on another planet, by anyone. The  Mars_2 lander was the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars, though it crashed.  Mars_3 managed the first soft landing on Mars and sent the first picture from the surface, although contact was lost soon after. Still, that's 5 years before the first successful American landing.

 

[Wiploc]

[h=2]Space Probe History[/h]
I didn't ask for the space probe.

I didn't ask for the space probe.

I didn't ask for the space probe.

I didn't ask for the space probe.

I didn't ask for the space probe.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Solar_System_probes

The early Russian failures stand out.

In what way?  Venera_7 was the first successful landing on another planet, by anyone. The  Mars_2 lander was the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars, though it crashed.  Mars_3 managed the first soft landing on Mars and sent the first picture from the surface, although contact was lost soon after. Still, that's 5 years before the first successful American landing.

But look at their failure rate. With spacecraft you have to take the time to do it right.

 

[Jokodo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Solar_System_probes

The early Russian failures stand out.

In what way?  Venera_7 was the first successful landing on another planet, by anyone. The  Mars_2 lander was the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars, though it crashed.  Mars_3 managed the first soft landing on Mars and sent the first picture from the surface, although contact was lost soon after. Still, that's 5 years before the first successful American landing.

But look at their failure rate. With spacecraft you have to take the time to do it right.

"Have to"?

Also, on that same link, have you seen how many of NASA's missions lost contact with the craft, sometimes shortly after launch, well into the 21st century?

 

[Jokodo]

The picture doesn't really change by looking at crewed missions' failures. More astronauts were killed in the Challenger disaster alone than the total number of cosmonauts killed on duty. At least those we know of - while it's possible that the USSR covered up some severe accidents, I don't think it's particularly likely, they did publically give full honors to the ones we do know about.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight-related_accidents_and_incidents

 

[steve_bank]

I would not have thought a link on space probes could be so controversial.

 

[Jokodo]

I would not have thought a link on space probes could be so controversial.

There's nothing controversial about the link. Nor is there anything controversial about the observation that the Soviet space program was competitive with NASA well into the 1970s, at least. But some here go to great lengths to deny that reality.

You guys won the Cold War over 30 yrars ago, get over Sputnik already.