Mars 7 was part of a series of robotic missions by the Soviet Union aimed at exploring the Martian surface. The spacecraft comprised a flyby bus and a descent module intended for landing on the Martian surface. After its launch, the spacecraft traveled through space for several months, ultimately approaching Mars in March 1974. As it neared its target, the flyby bus was supposed to deploy the descent module to investigate the Martian terrain. However, complications arose when the bus released the descent module prematurely. This critical miscalculation resulted in the descent module bypassing Mars entirely, instead conducting a flyby of the planet at an altitude exceeding the necessary range for scientific data collection. This incident provided insights into the challenges of interplanetary missions, particularly regarding the precision required during critical phases of orbit and landing attempts. Despite the mishap, Mars 7 succeeded in gathering significant amounts of data about Mars' atmosphere during its flyby, which continued to contribute toward the understanding of the planet.