Venera 8 Credit - NASA

Venus lander intended to study the Venusian atmosphere and other phenomena of the planet. After aerodynamic braking, a parachute was deployed, the capsule antenna was extended, and signals were returned. The capsule was the first man-made object to return data after landing on another planet.

Typical orbit: 195 km x 908 km at 51 degrees inclination. Mass: 1,180 kg (2,600 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M.

• 1970 August 17 - Venera 7 - Program: Venera. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M. Mass: 1,180 kg (2,600 lb).

  Venera 7 was launched from an earth parking orbit towards Venus to study the Venusian atmosphere and other phenomena of the planet. Venera 7 entered the atmosphere of Venus on December 15, 1970, and a landing capsule was jettisoned. After aerodynamic braking, a parachute system was deployed. The capsule antenna was extended, and signals were returned for 35 min. Another 23 min of very weak signals were received after the spacecraft landed on Venus. The capsule was the first man-made object to return data after landing on another planet.

• 1970 August 22 - Cosmos 359 - Program: Venera. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M. FAILURE: The escape stage Block L's engine 11D33 was late igniting and cut off early at 25 seconds after firing due to abnormal operation of the sequencer and a DC transformer failure. Mass: 1,180 kg (2,600 lb). Perigee: 195 km (121 mi). Apogee: 908 km (564 mi). Inclination: 51.20 deg. Period: 95.70 min.

  Probable Venus probe failure.

• 1970 December 15 - Venera 7, Venus Landing (USSR) -

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

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