Venera 12 Descent Craft
Courtesy of NASA's National Space Science Data Center
Launch Date: 1978-09-14
Description
The Venera 12 descent craft carried instruments designed to study the
detailed chemical composition of the atmosphere, the nature of the clouds,
and the thermal balance of the atmosphere. Separating from its flight
platform on December 21, 1978, it made a soft landing on the surface after a
descent time of approximately 1 hour. During this time, it employed
aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking and ending with
atmospheric braking. The touchdown speed was 7-8 m/s. Information was
transmitted to the flight platform for retransmittal to earth. It is unknown
whether the Lander Probe carried an imaging system.
Space History
Views of the Solar System Copyright © 1997 by
Calvin J. Hamilton. All rights reserved.