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The Blok D‑2 Engine Failed to Fire - Did Mars‑96 Make the Window
A heavy interplanetary probe launches for Mars, but its engine fails to fire, leaving a radioactive payload unrecovered on Earth.
The Blok D‑2 Engine Failed to Fire - Did Mars‑96 Make the Window
This episode recounts the launch of Mars-96, the heaviest interplanetary probe ever built, and the critical engine failure that left its fate unknown. It explores the silence that followed and the unresolved questions surrounding its disappearance.
Date: November 16, 1996
Payload: 6,180 kilograms
Radioactive Material: 200 grams of plutonium-238
Location: East of Iquique, Chile
Mission Goal: Reach Mars…
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