When did Venera 13 launch into space?
Venera 13 launched on the 30th of October 1981 at 06:04 UTC. The probe followed a dual launch strategy with Venera 14 to gather data from two different locations simultaneously.
Questions about Venera 13
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How long did Venera 13 transmit data after landing on Venus?
Data transmission continued until at least the 25th of April 1983. This duration allowed engineers to receive information about solar wind plasma and gamma-ray bursts during the flyby phase.
What sounds did Venera 13 record on the surface of Venus?
Microphones on the probe captured noises of Venusian wind blowing across the surface for the first time. It also recorded mechanical sounds of the lander hitting the ground and pyrotechnic lens cap removal impacts against the regolith.
What type of rock did Venera 13 analyze in Phoebe Regio?
An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer analyzed samples that placed the rock in the class of weakly-differentiated melanocratic alkaline gabbroids. The area featured bedrock outcrops surrounded by dark fine-grained soil.
Did Venera 13 find evidence of life on Venus according to Leonid Ksanfomaliti?
Leonid Ksanfomaliti published an article suggesting signs of life based on images resembling a disk, a black flap, and a scorpion moving across the ground. Engineers identified the moving disk as two lens caps ejected from the lander and editors refuted these ideas in September 2012.