MARS-96 . ... Scientific goals . ... At the end of the 1980's, the successful broad scientific exploration program of Venus was fulfilled, the successful mission to Halley Comet was completed and the mission to Phobos, having limited success, was also realized, At this time, Mars was chosen as the main object for future planetary exploration within the Russian Space Program. ... Earlier missions to Mars showed that this planet in its earlier history was much more similar to the Earth than that is now. ...