Space and Astronomy Atlas

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Missions and Programs

Venera Program

veh-NYEH-ruh (Russian: Venera, meaning Venus)
Also Known As Venera probes

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A Soviet program of robotic missions to Venus flown between 1961 and 1984. Venera 7 became, on 15 December 1970, the first human-made probe to transmit data from the surface of another planet. The program went on to return the first images and sound recordings ever taken from the surface of another world, establishing a run of firsts in planetary atmospheric entry and soft landing that no other nation matched for Venus until decades later.

Facts
Mission Type
Robotic planetary exploration (atmospheric entry and landing) 1
Launch Date
1961-02-12 1
End Date
1983-06-01 1
Day precision is approximate. Venera 16, the program's final numbered probe, launched in June 1983; the related Vega 1 and 2 probes flew to Venus and Halley's Comet in December 1984 under a separate mission designation, which is why some sources give the program's outer span as 1984.
Outcome
Established multiple space-exploration firsts: the first atmospheric entry of another planet, the first successful soft landing on an extraterrestrial body other than the Moon, and the first images and sound recordings from another world's surface. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Operated By

Additional Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)Venera program, Wikipedia, lead section (program span)
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program (Wikipedia) - lead summary
Quote, Venera program (Wikipedia) - lead summary
Thus, it became, on 15 December 1970, the first human-made probe to transmit data from the surface of Venus.
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program (Wikipedia) - mission type
Quote, Venera program (Wikipedia) - mission type
first human-made probe to transmit data from the surface of Venus
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program (Wikipedia) - significance
Quote, Venera program (Wikipedia) - significance
first successful soft landing on an extraterrestrial body
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program, Wikipedia, History section (first probes)
Quote, Venera program, Wikipedia, History section (first probes)
Venera 1 and Venera 2 were intended to fly past Venus without entering orbit. Venera 1 was launched on 12 February 1961.
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program, Wikipedia, lead section (program span)
Quote, Venera program, Wikipedia, lead section (program span)
was a series of space probes developed by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1984 to gather information about the planet Venus
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program, Wikipedia, lead section (probe count)
Quote, Venera program, Wikipedia, lead section (probe count)
A total of eighteen probes were sent, including two related Vega probes.
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVenera program, Wikipedia, lead section (name etymology)
Quote, Venera program, Wikipedia, lead section (name etymology)
The Venera program (Russian: Вене́ра ... ) 'Venus'
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