Pioneer Venus Multiprobe
American robotic spacecraft send to Venus in 1978; last spacecraft in Pioneer program / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe, also known as Pioneer Venus 2 or Pioneer 13, was a spacecraft launched in 1978 to explore Venus as part of NASA's Pioneer program. This part of the mission included a spacecraft bus which was launched from Earth carrying one large and three smaller probes, which after separating penetrated the Venusian atmosphere at a different location, returning data as they descended into the planet's thick atmosphere. The entry occurred on December 9, 1978.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2015) |
Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...
Mission type | Venus atmospheric probes |
---|---|
Operator | NASA / ARC |
COSPAR ID | 1978-078A |
SATCAT no. | 11001 |
Website | National Space Science Data Center (NASA) |
Mission duration | 4 months, 1 day, 13 hours, 22 minutes |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | HS-507 |
Manufacturer | Hughes |
Launch mass | 904 kilograms (1,993 lb)[1] |
Dry mass | 290 kilograms (640 lb) (bus) 315 kilograms (694 lb) (large probe) 3 x 90 kilograms (200 lb) (small probes) |
Power | 241 W |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | August 8, 1978, 07:33 (1978-08-08UTC07:33Z) UTC[1] |
Rocket | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
End of mission | |
Last contact | December 9, 1978, 20:22:55 UTC (bus) December 9, 1978, 20:55:34 (1978-12-09UTC20:55:35Z) UTC (day probe) |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Heliocentric |
Semi-major axis | 0.9 astronomical units (130,000,000 km; 84,000,000 mi) |
Eccentricity | 0.19 |
Perihelion altitude | 0.69 astronomical units (103,000,000 km; 64,000,000 mi) |
Aphelion altitude | 1.01 astronomical units (151,000,000 km; 94,000,000 mi) |
Inclination | 2.3 degrees |
Period | 284.0 days |
Venus atmospheric probe | |
Spacecraft component | Large Probe |
Atmospheric entry | December 9, 1978, 18:45:32 UTC |
Impact date | 19:39:53 UTC |
Impact site | 4.4°N 304.0°E / 4.4; 304.0 |
Venus atmospheric probe | |
Spacecraft component | North Probe |
Atmospheric entry | December 9, 1978, 18:49:40 UTC |
Impact date | 19:42:40 UTC |
Impact site | 59.3°N 4.8°E / 59.3; 4.8 |
Venus atmospheric probe | |
Spacecraft component | Day Probe |
Atmospheric entry | December 9, 1978, 18:52:18 UTC |
Impact date | 19:47:59 UTC |
Impact site | 31.3°S 317.0°E / -31.3; 317.0 |
Venus atmospheric probe | |
Spacecraft component | Night Probe |
Atmospheric entry | December 9, 1978, 18:56:13 UTC |
Impact date | 19:52:05 UTC |
Impact site | 28.7°S 56.7°E / -28.7; 56.7 |
Venus atmospheric probe | |
Atmospheric entry | December 9, 1978, 20:21:52 UTC |
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