The History of Spacecraft on Venus: Venera Missions and Their Achievements

KOMPAS.com – Venus is the second planet from the Sun, which is often called Earth’s twin because it has a similar size, mass, density, composition and gravity.

Venus isn’t the closest planet to the Sun, but its dense atmosphere traps heat in a version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth.

As a result, the temperature on Venus reaches 471 degrees Celsius. This is more than hot enough to melt lead.

The spaceship that landed on Venus

Launching Cool Cosmos, there are several spacecraft belonging to the Soviet Union that have landed on the hottest planet in the solar system.

Also read: How long does it take to travel from Earth to Venus?

However, the lander can only transmit information for a short time because the extremely high temperatures and pressure on the surface of Venus can melt and destroy the spacecraft.

On December 15, 1970, a Soviet unmanned spacecraft, Venera 7, became the first spacecraft to land on another planet. Venera 7 measures the temperature of the atmosphere on Venus.

In 1972, Venera 8 collected data on the atmosphere and surface of Venus for 50 minutes after landing.

Then, on October 22, 1975, Venera 9 landed on the surface of Venus. This landing succeeded in getting the first close-up photos of the surface of Planet Venus.

Also read: Venus, the Hottest Planet Dubbed Earth’s Twin

Three days later, Venera 10 also landed on Venus. Venera 10 photographed the surface and studied the rocks on Venus.

In December 1978, Venera 11 and Venera 12 landed on Venus and sent back more data about Venus’ atmosphere.

Venera 12 sent back 110 minutes of data (the longest of any Venera lander) before heat and pressure effects ended its mission.

Finally, in March 1982, two Soviet spacecraft landed on Venus, namely Venera 13 and Venera 14. They sent back pictures and studied the soil on Venus.

For information, at its furthest distance, Venus is on average 257 million km from Earth. The closest, Venus is 41 million km from Earth.

Also read: Why Does Venus Look So Bright From Earth?

Because the orbits of Venus and Earth change slightly over time, these closest and farthest distances expand and contract over time.

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2023-08-21 08:00:00
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