Exploration of Mars space probe to orbit another planet when it entered into orbit around Mars. The amount of data returned by probes increased dramatically as technology improved. The first to contact the surface were two Soviet probes: Mars 2 lander on November 27 and Mars 3 lander on December 2, 1971Mars 2 failed during descent and Mars 3 about twenty seconds after the first Martian soft landing. Mars 6 failed during descent but did return some corrupted atmospheric data in 1974. The Soviet probes Phobos 1 and 2 were sent to Mars in 1988 to study Mars and its two moons, with
Mars in culture in film. The theme of a Martian colony that fights for independence from Earth is a major plot element in the novels of Greg Bear as well as the movie "Total Recall" (based on a short story by Philip K. Dick) and the television series "Babylon 5". Some video games also use this element, including "Red Faction" and the "Zone of the Enders" series. Mars (and its moons) were also the setting for the popular "Doom" video game franchise and the later "Martian Gothic". Mars in culture Mars in culture is about the planet Mars in culture. For example, the