Mars 1 was an automatic interplanetary station launched in the direction of Mars. It
carried various scientific and communications equipment including a magnetometer probe, a
high-gain antenna, an omnidirectional antenna, a semi-directional antenna, and
photographic equipment. Sixty-one radio transmissions were held in which a large amount of
data was collected. On March 21, 1963, when the spacecraft was at a distance of 106
million km communications ceased, possibly due to a malfunction in the spacecraft
orientation system. Mars 1 closest approach to Mars occurred on June 19, 1963 at a
distance of approximately 193,000 km, after which the spacecraft entered a heliocentric
orbit.