Space Topics: Venus
Missions to Venus
As one of the first planets to be visited by spacecraft, Venus witnessed
many failed attempts at missions. However, more than 20 have been successful.
Sputnik 7 - Venera 1 - Mariner
1 - Sputnik 19 - Mariner
2 - Sputnik 20 - Sputnik
21 - Venera 1964A - Venera 1964B - Cosmos
27 - Zond 1 - Venera 2 - Venera
3, Venera 4 - Mariner 5 - Cosmos
167 - Venera 5 - Venera 6 - Venera
7 - Cosmos 359 - Venera
8 - Cosmos 482 - Mariner
10 - Venera 9 - Venera 10 - Pioneer
Venus 1 - Pioneer Venus 2 - Venera
11 - Venera 12 - Venera
13 - Venera 14 - Venera
15 - Venera 16 - Vega 1 - Vega
2 - Galileo - Magellan -Cassini -
Venus
Express - MESSENGER - Planet-C
(Venus Climate Orbiter)
Sputnik 7
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: February 4, 1961
The final stage of the rocket carrying Sputnik 7 into orbit failed and
the spacecraft was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to carry it
on to Venus.
Venera 1
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: February 12, 1961
Communications with the spacecraft was lost while Venera 1 was on its way
to Venus.
Mariner 1
Failed Venus flyby attempt (NASA)
Launch: July 22, 1962
Shortly after launch, the rocket veered off course and was destroyed by
ground controllers.
Sputnik 19
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: August 25, 1962
The spacecraft made it into Earth orbit, but the rocket's last stage failed
and Sputnik 19 was unable to achieve its Venus trajectory. It re-entered Earth's
atmosphere three days later.
Mariner 2
Successful Venus flyby (NASA)
Launch: August 27, 1962
Venus flyby: December 14, 1962
Mariner 2 was the first spacecraft to successfully fly by Venus, at an
altitude of 34,773 kilometers. The spacecraft discovered ground temperatures
as high as 428°C (800°F). Other instruments detected no water vapor
in the atmosphere or any evidence of a magnetic field around the planet. Radio
contact was lost on January 3, 1963.
Sputnik 20
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: September 1, 1962
The rocket's final stage failed and the spacecraft was unable to achieve
to escape Earth orbit.
Sputnik 21
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: September 12, 1962
The 3rd stage of the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff, destroying
the spacecraft.
Venera 1964A
Failed Venus flyby attempt (USSR)
Launch: February 19, 1964
The rocket carrying the spacecraft failed to reach Earth orbit.
Venera 1964B
Failed Venus flyby attempt (USSR)
Launch: Mar. 1, 1964
The rocket carrying the spacecraft failed to reach Earth orbit.
Cosmos 27
Failed Venus flyby attempt (USSR)
Launch: March 27, 1964
The final stage of the rocket carrying the spacecraft into orbit failed
and it was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to carry it on to Venus.
Zond 1
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: April 2, 1964
Communications with the spacecraft was lost while on its way to Venus.
Venera 2
Venus flyby attempt (USSR)
Launch: Nov. 12, 1965
Venera 2 flew within 24,000 kilometers (15,000 miles) of Venus on February
27, 1966, but communications with the spacecraft was lost just before its
close approach with the planet.
Venera 3
Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: Nov. 16, 1965
Venus impact: March 1, 1966
Venera 3 was the first spacecraft to land on (impact) another planet, but
no data was returned. It is believed that Venus's thick atmosphere and crushing
pressure destroyed the spacecraft on its way to the surface.
Venera 4
Successful Venus probe (USSR)
Launch: June 12, 1967
Venus arrival: October 18, 1967
When Venera 4 arrived at Venus it dropped several instruments, including
a thermometer and a barometer, into the atmosphere. It received data back
from these probes before it deployed a parachute and descended into the atmosphere
itself. Preliminary readings seemed to indicate that the probe had taken measurements
all the way down to the surface, but later analysis suggested that the crushing
atmosphere damaged the spacecraft at an altitude of almost 25 kilometers.
The probe revealed an atmosphere made almost entirely of carbon dioxide, with
temperatures ranging from 40°C high up in the atmosphere to 280°C
closer to the surface, and pressures ranging from 15 to 22 atmospheres.
Mariner 5
Credit: NASA/JPL
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Mariner 5
Successful Venus flyby (NASA)
Launch: June 14, 1967
Venus flyby: October 19, 1967
Mariner 5 flew within 4,000 kilometers (2,400 miles) of the Venusian cloud
tops. During its flyby, the spacecraft measured a surface temperature of 267°C.
Cosmos 167
Failed Venus probe attempt (USSR)
Launch: June 17, 1967
The final stage of the rocket carrying the spacecraft into orbit failed
and it was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to carry it on to Venus.
Venera 5 or 6
Credit: NSSDC
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Venera 5
Successful Venus probe (USSR)
Launch: January 5, 1969
Venus arrival: May 16, 1969
Upon its arrival Venera 5 deployed a parachute and descended through the
thick atmosphere. Scientists received 53 minutes worth of data as the spacecraft
descended 36 kilometers (22 miles). The spacecraft was damaged by the tremendous
atmospheric pressure before it reached the surface.
Venera 6
Successful Venus probe (USSR)
Launch: January 10, 1969
Venus arrival: May 17, 1969
Twin to Venera 5, Venera 6 arrived just a day after its sister ship. Once
at Venus, the spacecraft deployed a parachute and descended through the atmosphere.
Scientists on Earth received 51 minutes of data as the probe descended 38
kilometers (almost 24 miles). The spacecraft was damaged the crushing pressure
before it reached the surface.
Venera 7 capsule
.
Credit: NSSDC
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Venera 7
Successful Venus probe (USSR)
Launch: August 17, 1970
Venus arrival: December 15, 1970
When Venera 7 arrived it deployed a parachute and began its descent to
the surface. Scheduled to take 60 minutes to descend, the probe touched down
in only 35 minutes, possibly because its parachute may have been damaged by
high winds. The spacecraft then transmitted a weak signal for 23 minutes,
becoming the first spacecraft to return data from the surface of another planet.
It reported surface temperatures of 475°C and atmospheric pressures 90
times greater than Earth's.
Cosmos 359
Failed Venus lander attempt (USSR)
Launch: August 22, 1970
The final stage of the rocket carrying the spacecraft into orbit failed
and it was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to carry it on to Venus.
Venera 8
Successful Venus lander (USSR)
Launch: March 27, 1972
Venus landing: July 22, 1972
Upon Venus arrival Venera 8 used aerobraking to decelerate, and then deployed
a parachute. A refrigeration unit cooled the spacecraft's components, protecting
them from the intense heat as the lander descended to the surface. Once on
the ground, the spacecraft transmitted data for 50 minutes, confirming a very
high surface temperature and crushing atmospheric pressure. It also
measured the light level on Venus’ surface and found it suitable for
surface photography, setting the stage for the images to be returned by Venera
9, 10, 13, and 14.
Cosmos 482
Failed Venus lander attempt (USSR)
Launch: March 31, 1972
The final stage of the rocket carrying the spacecraft into orbit failed
and it was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to carry it on to Venus.
Mariner 10
Credit: NASA/JPL
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Mariner 10
Successful Mercury multiple flyby (NASA)
Launch: November 3, 1973
Venus flyby and gravity assist: February 5, 1974
Mariner 10 flew by Venus for a gravity assist on its way to Mercury. It
flew within 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) of Venus and took the first ultraviolet
images of the planet.
Venera 9 or 10 during a test
Credit: NSSDC
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Venera 9
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: June 8, 1975
Venus landing: October 22, 1975
The Venera 9 lander separated from the orbiter on October 20, 1975. Two
days later, the lander touched down and became the first spacecraft to transmit
a picture from the surface of another planet. It landed within a 150-kilometer
radius of 31.01° N, 291.64° E. In addition, the lander sent
back information on the Venusian clouds, atmospheric composition, and light
levels. All of the information was transmitted from the surface to the orbiter,
which then relayed the signal to Earth. Besides acting as a data relay, the
orbiter also studied the cloud structure of the planet.
Venera 9's landing site Credit: Ted Stryk
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Venera 10
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: June 14, 1975
Venus landing: October 25, 1975
The Venera 10 spacecraft separated into two different sections, an orbiter
and a lander, on October 23, 1975. Two days later, the lander touched down
on the surface of Venus 2,200 kilometers (1370 miles) from the Venera 9 lander,
within a 150 km radius of 15.42° N, 291.51° E. With the orbiter acting
as a relay, the lander transmitted images from the surface as well as data
about clouds and the surface environment.
Venera 10's landing site Credit: Ted Stryk
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Pioneer Venus Orbiter
Credit: NASA
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Pioneer Venus 1 (Pioneer Venus Orbiter)
Successful Venus orbiter (NASA)
Launch: May 20, 1978
Venus orbit insertion: December 4, 1978
Pioneer Venus 1 carried 17 experiments, including a radar mapper. Scientists
used the radar to map nearly the entire planet, resolving features as small
as 80 kilometers (50 miles). The spacecraft remained in orbit until August
of 1992, when it used up all its fuel and burnt up in the atmosphere.
Pioneer Venus Multiprobe
Credit: NASA
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Pioneer Venus 2 (Pioneer Venus Multiprobe)
Four successful Venus probes (NASA)
Launch: August 8, 1978
Venus arrival: December 9, 1978
Pioneer Venus 2 consisted of four separate atmospheric probes; one large
probe 1.5 meters in diameter, which deployed a parachute to slow its descent,
and three small probes (0.8 meters or 2.6 feet across) which plunged straight
through the atmosphere. The large probe was released from the spacecraft
bus on November 16, 1978. The three smaller probes were released four days
later. All of the probes arrived at Venus on December 9, 1978. Each probe
took atmospheric measurements as they descended through the cloud layer. One
of the probes survived to transmit data for over an hour after it impacted
with the surface. The spacecraft bus that carried the probes also had instruments
and made measurements in Venus’ uppermost atmosphere before burning
up.
Venera 11 or 12 descent craft
Credit: NSSDC
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Venera 12
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: September 14, 1978
Venus arrival: December 21, 1978
Launched three days after Venera 11, Venera 12 actually made it to Venus
four days before the other spacecraft. Venera 12 was designed to study the
atmospheric composition and clouds of Venus. The lander transmitted 110 minutes
of data before the planet rotated out of range of the orbiting relay.
Venera 11
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: September 9, 1978
Venus arrival: December 25, 1978
Details about Venera 11 are sketchy; however, the spacecraft did make a
soft landing on the surface, and sent back evidence of thunder and lightning
as well as the presence of carbon monoxide in the lower altitudes. Data was
transmitted back to Earth for 95 minutes before the lander rotated out of
range of the orbiting relay.
Venera 13 or 14 orbiter
Credit: IKI
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Venera 13
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: October 30, 1981
Venus arrival: March 1, 1982
Venera 13 returned the first color images from the surface of Venus, landing
at 7.5° S, 303° E. A drilling arm collected a sample that was
examined by an onboard x-ray fluorescence spectrometer to determine its composition.
The lander survived 127 minutes before giving in to the extreme heat (457°C)
and the tremendous pressure (84 times the pressure at sea level on Earth).
Venera 13's landing site Credit: Brown University/Vernadsky Institute/O.
de Goursac
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Venera 13 or 14 lander
Credit: IKI
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Venera 14
Successful Venus orbiter and lander (USSR)
Launch: November 4, 1981
Venus arrival: March 5, 1982
Venera 14 sent back images of the surface and a mechanical arm collected
a sample for testing. The spacecraft survived for 57 minutes before succumbing
to the heat and extreme pressure.
Venera 15 or 16 orbiter
Credit: IKI
| Venera 15
Successful Venus orbiter (USSR)
Launch: June 2, 1983
Venus arrival: October 10, 1983
Venera 15 and 16 created a radar map of Venus over a joint mission lasting
8 months.
Venera 16
Successful Venus orbiter (USSR)
Launch: June 7, 1983
Venus arrival: October 10, 1983
Venera 15 and 16 created a radar map of Venus over a joint mission lasting
8 months.
Vega 1
Successful Venus probe and Comet Halley flyby (USSR)
Launch: December 15, 1984
Venus flyby and gravity assist: June 11, 1985
As Vega 1 swung by Venus, it deployed a 2.4-meter probe into the atmosphere.
The probe deployed a balloon almost immediately upon entering the atmosphere.
The balloon, which measured temperature, pressure, wind velocity and visibility
of the atmosphere, covered 9,000 kilometers in 47 hours before it burst. The
probe took readings of the atmosphere as it descended to the surface.
Vega 2
Successful Venus probe and Comet Halley flyby (USSR)
Launch: December 21, 1984
Venus flyby and gravity assist: June 15, 1985
Vega 2 was identical to Vega 1.
Galileo
Successful Jupiter orbiter (NASA)
Launch: October 18, 1989
Venus flyby: February 10, 1990
Galileo flew by Venus on the way to Jupiter, collecting measurements of
charged particles, dust and magnetism, infrared and ultraviolet spectral observations,
data for infrared lower-atmosphere maps, and 81 camera images. The data were
mostly not played back until November, 1990.
Magellan
Credit: NASA/JPL
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Magellan
Successful Venus orbiter (NASA)
Launch: May 4, 1989
Venus orbit insertion: August 10, 1990
By the end of its mission, Magellan had mapped over 98% of Venus at a resolution
of 100 meters or better using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Images
were acquired over three “cycles” at different geometries, permitting
stereoscopic views of parts of the surface. Magellan also acquired topography,
slope, radiometry, and scatterometry measurements of the surface over a
mission spanning five years.
| Magellan Timeline |
| 04 May 1989 |
Launch |
| 10 Aug 1990 |
Venus orbit insertion and spacecraft checkout |
| 15 Sep 1990 |
Cycle 1: Radar mapping (left-looking) |
| 15 May 1991 |
Cycle 2: Radar mapping (right-looking) |
| 15 Jan 1992 |
Cycle 3: Radar mapping (left-looking) |
| 14 Sep 1992 |
Cycle 4: Gravity data acquisition |
| 24 May 1993 |
Aerobraking to circular orbit |
| 03 Aug 1993 |
Cycle 5: Gravity data acquisition |
| 30 Aug 1994 |
Windmill experiment |
| 12 Oct 1994 |
Termination experiment - loss of signal |
| 13 Oct 1994 |
Presumed loss of spacecraft |
Successful Saturn orbiter (NASA)
Launch: Oct. 15, 1997
Venus flyby 1: April 26, 1998
Venus flyby 2: June 24, 1999
Cassini-Huygens used the planet Venus for two gravity assists, leading
up to Earth and Jupiter flybys and its eventual arrival at Saturn. The
flybys were notable for the failure to detect lightning at Venus.
Venus Express
Credit: ESA
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Venus orbiter (ESA)
Launch: November 9, 2005
Venus arrival: April 11, 2006
Venus Express will be the first mission dedicated to studying Venus since
the arrival of Magellan in 1990. The mission is primarily intended to
study the thick atmosphere of Venus. Its primary mission lasted
2 Venusian days (500 Earth days); it is now in an extended mission.
Mercury orbiter (en route) (NASA)
Launch: August 3, 2004
Venus flyby 1: October 24, 2006
Venus flyby 2: June 5, 2007
MESSENGER flew by Venus twice on its way to Mercury. The flybys
were used to test the scientific instruments for the later Mercury flybys.
Planet-C (Venus Climate Orbiter)
Venus orbiter (not yet launched) (JAXA)
Launch: tentatively scheduled for 2010
Venus arrival: tentatively scheduled for 2011
Planet-C will be designed to study the atmospheric dynamics of Venus, particularly
the superrotation of the upper atmosphere. It will also measure atmospheric
temperatures and look for evidence of volcanic activity and lightning. Instrument
development is underway; the spacecraft will carry no fewer than 5 cameras.
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