Venera 6

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Venera 6
The Soviet Union 1969 CPA 3821 stamp (Space Probe, Space Capsule and Orbits).jpg
Venera 6 on a Soviet stamp
Mission type Venus atmospheric probe
Operator Lavochkin
COSPAR ID 1969-002A [1]
SATCAT no. 3648
Mission durationTravel: 127 days
Atmosphere: 51 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft 2V (V-69) No.331
Manufacturer Lavochkin
Launch mass1,130 kg (2,490 lb) [2]
Dry mass410 kg (900 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateJanuary 10, 1969, 05:51:52 (1969-01-10UTC05:51:52Z) UTC [2]
Rocket Molniya 8K78M
Launch site Baikonur 1/5
End of mission
Last contactMay 17, 1969 (1969-05-18)
Orbital parameters
Reference system Heliocentric
Perihelion altitude 0.71 AU
Aphelion altitude 0.98 AU
Inclination 2.0°
Period 285 days
Venus atmospheric probe
Atmospheric entryMay 17, 1969, 06:05 UT
Impact site 5°S23°E / 5°S 23°E / -5; 23
(10–12 km altitude)
  Venera 5
Venera 7  

Venera 6 (Russian: Венера-6 meaning Venus 6), or 2V (V-69) No.331, was a Soviet spacecraft, launched towards Venus to obtain atmospheric data. It had an on-orbit dry mass of 1,130 kg (2,490 lb).

Contents

The spacecraft was very similar to Venera 4 although it was of a stronger design. When the atmosphere of Venus was approached, a capsule with a mass of 405 kilograms (893 lb) was jettisoned from the main spacecraft. This capsule contained scientific instruments.

During descent towards the surface of Venus, a parachute opened to slow the rate of descent. For 51 minutes on May 17, 1969, while the capsule was suspended from the parachute, data from the Venusian atmosphere were returned. It landed at 5°S23°E / 5°S 23°E / -5; 23 .

The spacecraft also carried a medallion bearing the State Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union and a bas-relief of Lenin to the night side of Venus.

Given the results from Venera 4, the Venera 5 and Venera 6 landers contained new chemical analysis experiments tuned to provide more precise measurements of the atmosphere's components. Knowing the atmosphere was extremely dense, the parachutes were also made smaller so the capsule would reach its full crush depth before running out of power (as Venera-4 had done).

Instruments

Spaceship

Lander

Mission

Venera 6 was launched into an Earth parking orbit on January 10, 1969, at 05:51:52 UT and then from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (69-002C) towards Venus. After a mid-course maneuver on March 16 the Venera 6 probe was released on May 17, 1969, 25,000 kilometers (16,000 mi) from the planet.

It entered the nightside atmosphere at 06:05 UT and deployed the parachute. The probe sent back readouts every 45 seconds for 51 minutes and ceased operation due to the temperature and pressure effects at roughly 10 to 12 kilometres (6.2 to 7.5 mi) altitude. The photometer failed to operate, but the atmosphere was sampled at 2 bar and 10 bar pressures. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Venera 6". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Siddiqi, Asif (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF) (second ed.). NASA History Program Office.