Editing Mars 2MV-3 No.1 (section)

== Launch ==
The spacecraft was launched at 15:35:15 UTC on 4 November 1962, atop a [[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya]] 8K78 carrier rocket flying from [[Gagarin's Start|Site 1/5]] at the [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]].<ref name="LL">{{cite web |url=http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt |title=Launch Log |last=McDowell |first=Jonathan |publisher=Jonathan's Space Page |access-date=29 July 2010}}</ref> About 260 seconds into the flight, the oxidiser pressurisation system malfunctioned, resulting in [[cavitation]] within the feed lines and turbopump. The same problem developed in the propellant feed lines thirty-two seconds later.<ref name="EA-R7">{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |title=Soyuz |last=Wade |first=Mark |publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica |access-date=29 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107163113/http://astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |archive-date=7 January 2010 }}</ref> Although the lower stages of the rocket were still able to place the upper stage and payload into a [[low Earth orbit]], vibrations caused by either the cavitation problem, or a separate problem with the next stage, caused a [[Fuse (electrical)|fuse]] to become dislodged in the electrical system controlling the upper stage engine. This prevented the [[Blok L]] upper stage igniting, leaving the spacecraft in its [[parking orbit]]. It decayed from orbit the next day. However, some debris remained in orbit until 27 December, and the upper stage [[ullage motor]] platform remained in orbit until 19 January 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt|title=Satellite Catalog|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|publisher=Jonathan's Space Page|access-date=29 July 2010}}</ref>