WI: USSR returned samples from Mars in 1979?

[SpaceMarathon]

Russianspaceweb.com has documented a planned Mars sample return mission in the 70s:

http://russianspaceweb.com/5m.html

What if the mission carried out and succeeded as planned?

 

[Miss Teri]

It would be a massive scientific coup, as it would be the first sample from another world.

It would also have implications for Astrobiology, since one could compare it with discovered Martian meteorites to see what changes happened.

 

[Pangur]

If are hoping for a rerun of the space race, dont see that happening beyond the mission being used againist Carter in the up coming US Pres election. I suppose its possible that the Soviets would try at least another could of missions to other parts of Mars. Just what the issues were are not clear which does not help answer TBH as some of now solved issues may well have made other missions (Non-mars) possible

 

[starman]

It would be a massive scientific coup, as it would be the first sample from another world.

Another planet. Apollo astronauts brought back lunar samples.

would also have implications for Astrobiology, since one could compare it with discovered Martian meteorites to see what changes happened.

I doubt they'd find anything of much interest biologically unless the lander can drill below the level of surface oxidation.

 

[Miss Teri]

Another planet. Apollo astronauts brought back lunar samples.

That's what I meant. I didn't realize I hadn't written that.

I doubt they'd find anything of much interest biologically unless the lander can drill below the level of surface oxidation.

I meant later down the road, when scientist begin to speculate that Mars was inhabited.

 

[starman]

I meant later down the road, when scientist begin to speculate that Mars was inhabited.

In 1976, or before '79, the US Viking landers scooped Martian soil and tried to determine if it had life or at least, organic compounds. I'd assume that would've been an objective of Soviet landers too.

 

[Mad Bad Rabbit]

In order to save weight, the 5M mission would try to heat-sterilize the sample in Martian orbit, then return to a crash-landing on Earth. This would likely contaminate and ruin any Martian paleobiological remains.

(And of course there is the tiny but nonzero chance that contamination could go the other direction: later in the year, Mongolia and China begin reporting extremely virulent outbreaks of unknown new respiratory infection, with terrestrial antibiotics having no effect...)