Mars 1, also known as
1962 Beta Nu 1,
Mars 2MV-4 and
Sputnik 23, was an automatic interplanetary station launched in the direction of
Mars on November 1, 1962, the first of the
Soviet Mars probe program, with the intent of flying by the planet at a distance of about . It was designed to image the surface and send back data on cosmic radiation,
micrometeoroid impacts and Mars' magnetic field, radiation environment, atmospheric structure, and possible organic compounds.