Zond 2:
Goals: This Soviet third-generation spacecraft was designed to fly by Mars and take photographs. It also carried equipment to study interplanetary space.

Accomplishments: A solar panel malfunction deprived the spacecraft of critical powerand communications were lost before it reached Mars. However, mission controllers were able to twice test fire plasma electric ion rocket engines -- making Zond 2 a successful technology test for future deep space missions.

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30 Nov 1964:  Launch 18 Dec 1964:  End of Mars Mission Status:  Partial Success		Solar System Bodies: Mars Zond 2 Multimedia Gallery NSSDC Master Catalog: Zond 2
Zond 2 was the final interplanetary launch of 1964. It was launched only two days after Mariner 4, America's first successful Mars mission. The inert spacecraft flew by Mars on 6 August 1965 at a distance of 1,500 km. In 1964, the Soviet Union sent the first multi-person crew (above) into Earth orbit aboard Voshkod 1.