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Phobos program
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<p>The Phobos program was an <a href="/facts/Uncrewed_space_mission/zPrnATzo">uncrewed space mission</a> consisting of two <a href="/facts/Spacecraft/YQqQaUw0">probes</a> launched by the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a> to study <a href="/facts/Mars/AQGtVvz0">Mars</a> and its <a href="/facts/Natural_satellite/AE4KQKbq">moons</a> <a href="/facts/Phobos_(moon)/qqS9JvuG">Phobos</a> and <a href="/facts/Deimos_(moon)/Sm30nJWY">Deimos</a>. <i>Phobos 1</i> was launched on 7 July 1988, and <i>Phobos 2</i> on 12 July 1988, each aboard a <a href="/facts/Proton_rocket/susmVN0U">Proton-K rocket</a>. </p><p><i><a href="/facts/Phobos_1/CMeQNhb6">Phobos 1</a></i> suffered a terminal failure en route to Mars. <i><a href="/facts/Phobos_2/VUwzIgz3">Phobos 2</a></i> attained Mars orbit, but contact was lost before the final phase, prior to deployment of the planned Phobos landers. <i>Phobos 1</i> and <i>2</i> were of a new spacecraft design, succeeding the <a href="/facts/4MV/jmH3uVl9">4MV</a> type used in the <i><a href="/facts/Venera/quSQDDDM">Venera</a></i> <a href="/facts/Planet/rbPjE6Bx">planetary</a> missions of 1975–1985, and the <a href="/facts/5VK/UksldyNX">5VK</a> design last used during the <i><a href="/facts/Vega_1/LPflye67">Vega 1</a></i> and <i><a href="/facts/Vega_2/z0zBt6jT">Vega 2</a></i> missions to <a href="/facts/Comet_Halley/DQongwTQ">Comet Halley</a>. They each had a mass of 2600 <a href="/facts/Kilogram/lU2zbPk8">kg</a> (6220 kg with orbital insertion hardware attached). </p><p>The program featured cooperation from 14 other nations, including Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, France, West Germany, and the United States (which contributed the use of its <a href="/facts/NASA_Deep_Space_Network/IcapMQTR">NASA Deep Space Network</a> for tracking the twin spacecraft). </p>