When did the Soviet Union launch Venera 9?
The Soviet Union launched Venera 9 on the 8th of June 1975 at 02:38:00 UTC. This uncrewed spacecraft carried two distinct components into space to orbit and land on Venus.
Questions about Venera 9
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What date did the orbiter enter its permanent orbit around Venus?
The 20th of October 1975 marked the moment the orbiter entered its permanent orbit around Venus. Engineers constructed this unit as a cylinder flanked by two solar panel wings with a high gain parabolic antenna for communication.
How long did the Venera 9 lander function after touching down on Venus?
A circulating fluid system distributed heat load allowing the lander to function for exactly 53 minutes after landing. Radio contact with the orbiter was lost as the orbiting vehicle moved out of range during that time.
What were the surface conditions measured by the Venera 9 lander?
Surface pressure reached approximately 90 times that of Earth while temperatures climbed to around 475 degrees Celsius. Light levels measured 14,000 lux similar to full daylight on our own planet despite the lack of direct sun.
When did the Venera 9 lander touch down on the surface of Venus?
The Sun stood near zenith at 05:13 UTC on October 22 when the lander touched down. Cameras became operational just two minutes after that moment of contact to capture black and white television pictures.