Venera 3V (V-72)

This page no longer updated from 31 October 2001. Latest version can be found at www.astronautix.com

Venera 3V (V-72)

Venera 8 - Venera 3V (V-72). Others in the 3V / 3MV series had a similar appearance.

Credit: NASA. 34,211 bytes. 338 x 362 pixels.

Manufacturer's Designation: 3V (V-72). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Nation: USSR. Manufacturer: Lavochkin.

Venus atmospheric probe; instrumentation included temperature, pressure, and light sensors as well as radio transmitters. Velocity at Venus was reduced from 41,696 km/hr to about 900 km/hr by aerobraking. The 2.5 meter diameter parachute opened at an altitude of 60 km, and a refrigeration system was used to cool the interior components. Transmitted data during the descent and continued to send back data after landing.

Specification

Total Mass: 1,180 kg.

Venera 3V (V-72) Chronology

27 March 1972 Venera 8 Program: Venera. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M. Mass: 1,180 kg.

Venus atmospheric probe. The spacecraft took 117 days to reach Venus, entering the atmosphere on 22 July 1972. Descent speed was reduced from 41,696 km/hr to about 900 km/hr by aerobraking. The 2.5 meter diameter parachute opened at an altitude of 60 km, and a refrigeration system was used to cool the interior components. Venera 8 transmitted data during the descent and continued to send back data for 50 minutes after landing. The probe confirmed the earlier data on the high Venus surface temperature and pressure returned by Venera 7, and also measured the light level as being suitable for surface photography, finding it to be similar to the amount of light on Earth on an overcast day.

31 March 1972 Cosmos 482 Program: Venera. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M. FAILURE: The escape stage Block L's engine cut off 125 seconds after ignition due to timer failure. Mass: 1,180 kg. Perigee: 204 km. Apogee: 9,806 km. Inclination: 52.0 deg.

Bibliography:

2 - McDowell, Jonathan, The United Nations Registry of Space Objects, Harvard University, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/un/un.html
6 - JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html
64 - Varfolomyev, Timothy, Spaceflight, "Soviet Rocketry that Conquered Space - Part 5", 1998, Volume 40, page 85.
65 - Novosti Kosmonavtiki, "Otmenenniy Start "Molniya-M"", 1997, Issue 1, page 29.
296 - National Space Science Center Planetary Page, As of 19 February 1999.. HTML when accessed: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetary_home.html

Venera 8 Lander

Credit: NASA. 19,421 bytes. 278 x 225 pixels.

Venera 8 lander - Venera-8/9 landing capsule

Credit: Andy Salmon. 14,326 bytes. 320 x 338 pixels.

Back to Index

Last update 12 March 2001.
Contact Mark Wade with any corrections or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
© Mark Wade, 2001 .