2006-10-19 13:57:19 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Probing Venus
The first probe to Venus was launched by Russia in 1959, only two years after they had launched the first space satellite, Sputnik. After many not very successful attempts, Venera 3 landed a capsule on the surface in 1965, but communication ceased immediately. Venera 4 in 1967, also landed a capsule by parachute through the atmosphere, which transmitted for a short time, but did not survive on the surface which has a temperature hot enough to melt lead and an atmospheric pressure 90 times that on Earth.
In 1969 Venera 5 and Venera 6 also sent back data but did not survive long on the surface. Venera 7 in 1970 did survive on the surface for a short time and transmitted data. Venera 8 aimed at the day side of Venus and sent back data for 50 minutes after landing. It had to survive temperatures of more than 10,000 degrees as it entered Venus's atmosphere. The surface temperature was recorded by Venera 7 as 748K ± 20 degrees.
In 1975, Venera 9 and 10 were sent to Venus and landed at a distance of 2000 kilometres from each other. The capsule of Venera 9 had been built to withstand the pressure of the atmosphere and temperatures up to 2,000 degrees, but still only survived 65 minutes after landing. It sent back the first pictures of the surface of Venus which was sufficiently light despite the permanent dense clouds, no extra lighting was needed. The rocks had shadows. Venera 10 was also successful in sending back pictures of the surface of Venus.
Venera 11 and Venera 12, were launched to Venus in 1978. They sent back lots of data but not pictures. They found storms with lightning, volcanic activity and that only a very small percentage of light actually reached the surface through the clouds.
Venera 13, and Venera 14, launched 1981, took soil samples. They found rocks were similar to Earth's, including basalt. There were high levels of uranium, thorium and potassium in the rocks. They transmitted colour television pictures back. The scenery looked yellow as the light looked yellow. Venera 15 and Venera 16 in 1983, mapped the surface of Venus with radar. This enabled an atlas to be published of Venus. They found two-thirds of the surface is hilly, about a quarter is flat lowland and about one tenth, mountains.
Vega 1 and Vega 2, passed Halley's comet in 1985 and took the first pictures from space of the comet before going on to Venus. There they dropped probes with balloons into the atmosphere to land onto the surface.
The USA sent Mariner probes past Venus in the 1960s which sent back some data about the atmosphere. In 1978 they sent a Pioneer to orbit Venus with several small probes to collect data on the atmosphere of Venus. In 1989, the USA launched the Magellan probe to Venus via the shuttle Atlantis. It mapped Venus by radar and also collected data on the magnetic field.
The Nasa pictures created from the Magellan radar data, have been criticised as giving a very false image of the surface of Venus. Although it was coloured in accordance with the colour photos from Venera, the sky which should be a yellowish fog, has been made completely black, and the surface features which are flattened under the pressure of Venus's heavy atmosphere, rather as features are under the sea on Earth, have been exaggerated in height, 20 times. A much more realistic reconstruction should have been made.
VR
2006-10-19 14:21:25 · answer #1 · answered by sarayu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Soviet Union made several attempts to land on Venus. The harsh conditions on the surface quickly destroyed the probes. One did manage to land and take a few pictures of the serface before going offline, so we do have actual pictures of the surface of Venus.
2006-10-19 21:05:29 · answer #2 · answered by Troy J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first spacecraft to visit Venus was Mariner 2 in 1962. Others followed including the American craft Pioneer and and Soviet craft Venera. The ones that successfully landed on Venus didn't last very long because of the high pressure and corrosive elements in the atmosphere.
2006-10-19 20:59:56 · answer #3 · answered by Blue Jean 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes; the first one was landed by the Soviet in 1965. It was called Venera 3 and it crashed landed on Venus but failed to transmit any information because the radio fail. The first one to successfully land and transmit information back was Venera 7, 1970, which transmit informatoin for 35 min before it failed.
2006-10-19 22:01:40 · answer #4 · answered by smart son of a bich 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes only a few but they were shut down by the extreme heat and temperature. They lasted no longer than two hours but they did give us info about Venus's surface
2006-10-19 21:05:17 · answer #5 · answered by t2d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
behold, one of the very few surface photographs of venus, taken before the probe was crushed.
http://astsun.astro.virginia.edu/~mnc3z/images/astro121/Venus_surface.jpg
its a terrible angle, likely because they didnt think they would have the chance to get a picture of the surface.
2006-10-19 22:06:34 · answer #6 · answered by Answer guy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they had one that did land on venus...im not sure the name but i do know that do have one on venus
2006-10-19 20:59:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, when they tried it melted trying to go through the Venutian atmosphere - much too hot.
2006-10-19 20:59:42 · answer #8 · answered by John P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Over here!!!!
Land one on Neptune.....you will discover many things!
2006-10-19 21:02:26 · answer #9 · answered by Nep-Tunes 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
when?
2006-10-19 20:58:56 · answer #10 · answered by chef_q_c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋