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Venera 4V-2
Part of 4MV

Venera 15

Venera 15
Venera-15 Venus radar lunar surface mapper
Credit: Andy Salmon

Russian Venus probe. Venera radar mappers which used an 8 cm band side-looking radar to study the surface properties of Venus. Venus radar lander, Russia. Launched 1983.

AKA: 4V-2. Status: Operational 1983. First Launch: 1983-06-02. Last Launch: 1983-06-07. Number: 2 . Gross mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb).

In comparison to the 4V-1 bus flown previously they had extra solar panels and their propellant compartments were lengthened by a little over one meter.

Two spacecraft were inserted into Venus orbit a day apart with their orbital planes shifted by an angle of approximately 4 degrees relative to one another. This made it possible to reimage an area if necessary. Each spacecraft was in a nearly polar orbit with a periapsis at 62 N latitude. Together, the two spacecraft imaged the area from the north pole down to about 30 degrees N latitude over the 8 months of mapping operations. Each spacecraft consisted of a 5 m long cylinder with a 6 m diameter, 1.4 m tall parabolic dish antenna for the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) at one end. A 1 meter diameter parabolic dish antenna for the radio altimeter was also located at this end. The electrical axis of the radio altimeter antenna was lined up with the axis of the cylinder. The electrical axis of the SAR deviated from the spacecraft axis by 10 degrees. During imaging, the radio altimeter would be lined up with the center of the planet (local vertical) and the SAR would be looking off to the side at 10 degrees. A bulge at the opposite end of the cylinder held fuel tanks and propulsion units. Two square solar arrays extended like wings from the sides of the cylinder. A 2.6 m radio dish antenna for communications was also attached to the side of the cylinder.


More at: Venera 4V-2.

Family: Venus. Country: Russia. Engines: KTDU-425A. Launch Vehicles: Proton, Proton-K/D-1. Projects: Venera. Launch Sites: Baikonur, Baikonur LC200/40, Baikonur LC200/39. Agency: MOM, Lavochkin bureau. Bibliography: 2, 274, 296, 428, 6, 67, 7016, 13339.
Photo Gallery

Venera 15Venera 15
Credit: Manufacturer Image



1983 June 2 - . 02:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K/D-1.
1983 June 7 - . 02:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/40. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K/D-1.
1983 October 10 - .
1983 October 16 - .

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