# Mars 96

> failed Russian Mars mission

**Wikidata**: [Q656260](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q656260)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_96)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mars-96

## Summary
Mars 96 was a Russian unmanned space probe launched on 1996-11-16 that failed shortly after launch and re-entered the atmosphere on 1996-11-17. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on a Proton-K rocket and was operated by the Roscosmos State Corporation.

## Key Facts
- Mars 96 was an unmanned space probe (instance_of: space probe).
- Launch date: 1996-11-16.
- Launch site (start_point): Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200.
- Launch vehicle: Proton-K (a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket).
- Operator: Roscosmos State Corporation; launch contractor: Russian Space Forces.
- Mass at takeoff: 6,180 kilogram; dry mass: 3,159 kilogram.
- COSPAR ID / NSSDC ID: 1996-064A.
- NAIF ID: -550.
- Significant recorded events: rocket launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on 1996-11-16 and atmospheric entry (orbit decay) on 1996-11-17.
- Wikidata short description: failed Russian Mars mission.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Mars 96?
A: Mars 96 was a Russian unmanned space probe intended for Mars exploration that failed shortly after launch in November 1996.

### Q: When and where was Mars 96 launched?
A: Mars 96 was launched on 1996-11-16 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 using a Proton-K launch vehicle.

### Q: Did Mars 96 reach Mars?
A: No. The probe experienced a failure shortly after launch and recorded atmospheric entry / orbit decay on 1996-11-17.

### Q: Who operated and contracted the launch of Mars 96?
A: The probe was operated by the Roscosmos State Corporation and the launch contractor was the Russian Space Forces.

## Why It Matters
Mars 96 is significant as a documented example of a high-profile Russian Mars mission that failed shortly after launch. As an unmanned space probe with a substantial launch mass (6,180 kg at takeoff), it represented a major investment of hardware and organizational effort by Russian space agencies and military launch services. Its early failure and rapid atmospheric re-entry on 1996-11-17 curtailed its scientific and exploratory objectives, making it part of the historical record of Mars exploration attempts and of the challenges inherent in interplanetary missions. The mission is also notable in spacecraft catalogues and databases: it carries formal identifiers such as COSPAR ID 1996-064A, NSSDC ID 1996-064A, and NAIF ID -550, and it is listed under operator Roscosmos. For researchers and historians of spaceflight, Mars 96 provides a concrete case study in mission planning, launch operations, and the cataloguing of failed interplanetary missions.

## Notable For
- Being a Russian Mars probe that failed shortly after launch (launch 1996-11-16; orbit decay 1996-11-17).
- Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on a Proton-K carrier rocket.
- Substantial launch mass: 6,180 kg at takeoff and 3,159 kg dry mass.
- Inclusion in multiple spaceflight catalogues (COSPAR ID 1996-064A, NSSDC ID 1996-064A, NAIF ID -550).
- Operation by Roscosmos State Corporation with the Russian Space Forces as launch contractor.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Mars 96.
- Type: unmanned space probe.
- Brief description (from source): failed Russian Mars mission.
- Image: available under Commons category "Mars 96" (example file: Mars96_Model.jpg).

### Launch and timeline
- Launch date and event: rocket launch recorded at Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on 1996-11-16.
- Launch vehicle: Proton-K (Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket).
- Launch contractor: Russian Space Forces.
- Operator: Roscosmos State Corporation.
- Time of object orbit decay / atmospheric entry: 1996-11-17.

### Mass and configuration
- Mass at takeoff: 6,180 kg (applies_to_part: takeoff).
- Dry mass: 3,159 kg.

### Identifiers and cataloguing
- COSPAR ID: 1996-064A.
- NSSDC ID: 1996-064A.
- NAIF ID: -550.
- Freebase ID: /m/028vh5.
- Wikidata sitelink count: 30; Wikipedia title: Mars 96.
- Store ID (Google Play): Mars_96.

### Significant events (as recorded)
- Rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 200 on 1996-11-16.
- Atmospheric entry / orbit decay on 1996-11-17.

### References and metadata (from provided data)
- Instance class: space probe.
- scn property: 24656 (as recorded in structured properties).
- Commons category: Mars 96.
- Available language Wikipedia pages include: ar, bg, ca, commons, cs, de, en, eo, es, fi.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)