Venera 9
First orbiter of Venus and first surface images from another planet.
Venera 9, also known by its manufacturer code 4V-1 No. 660, was a Soviet uncrewed mission to Venus made up of an orbiter and a lander. It launched on June 8, 1975, at 02:38:00 UTC, weighing 4,936 kilograms. The orbiter was the first spacecraft to enter orbit around Venus, and the lander was the first to send back pictures from the surface of any other planet.
The orbiter reached Venus orbit on October 20, 1975. Its job was to relay communications from the lander and study the planet’s cloud layers and atmosphere using a range of instruments. It completed 17 survey missions between October 26 and December 25, 1975. The orbiter’s body was a cylinder with two solar panel wings and a large parabolic antenna attached to its curved side. A bell-shaped propulsion unit sat at the bottom, while a 2.4-meter sphere on top held the lander.
The orbiter carried a suite of instruments: an infrared spectrometer (1.6–2.8 μm), an infrared radiometer (8–28 μm), an ultraviolet photometer (352 nm), two photo-polarimeters (335–800 nm), a spectrometer (300–800 nm), a Lyman-alpha H/D spectrometer, bistatic radar mapping equipment, radio occultation experiments for CM and DM bands, a triaxial magnetometer, two cameras (345–380 nm and 355–445 nm), six electrostatic analyzers, two modulation ion traps, detectors for low-energy protons, alpha particles, and electrons, three semiconductor counters, two gas-discharge counters, and a Cherenkov detector.
The lander was initially enclosed in a spherical shell to protect it during atmospheric entry, slowing from 10.7 km/s to 150 m/s. Explosive bolts then separated the shell, and a three-domed parachute deployed, reducing speed to 50 m/s at 63 km altitude. The descent through the clouds took about 20 minutes, during which the lander measured the atmosphere and sent data to the orbiter. To avoid heat damage, the parachute was released at 50 km altitude, and a ring-shaped aerodynamic shield provided braking. Because Venus’s lower atmosphere is extremely dense, this shield slowed the lander to just 7 m/s at touchdown. A hollow ring around the lander’s base crushed on impact to absorb most of the landing force.
The lander separated from the orbiter on October 20, 1975, and landed with the Sun near zenith at 05:13 UTC on October 22. It touched down within a 150 km radius of 31.01°N 291.64°E, near Beta Regio, on a steep 20° slope covered with b
- Mission type
- Uncrewed space mission to Venus
- Launch date
- June 8, 1975, at 02:38:00 UTC
- Mass
- 4,936 kg (10,882 lb)
- Orbiter first
- First spacecraft to orbit Venus
- Lander first
- First to return images from the surface of another planet
- Landing date
- October 22, 1975, at 05:13 UTC
- Lander survival time
- 53 minutes after landing
Lore & Background
The orbiter entered Venus orbit on October 20, 1975. Its mission was to act as a communications relay for the lander and to explore cloud layers and atmospheric parameters with several instruments and experiments. It performed 17 survey missions from October 26, 1975, to December 25, 1975. The orbiter consisted of a cylinder with two solar panel wings and a high gain parabolic antenna attached to the curved surface. A bell-shaped unit holding propulsion systems was attached to the bottom of the cylinder, and mounted on top was a 2.4-metre (7.9 ft) sphere which held the lander.
Reader's Guide
Venera 9 marked a pivotal achievement in planetary exploration by becoming the first spacecraft to orbit Venus and the first to return images from the surface of another planet. The lander operated for 53 minutes after touchdown, transmitting data on atmospheric composition, surface pressure (about 9,100 kilopascals), temperature (485 °C), and light levels (14,000 lux). It measured clouds 30–40 km thick and detected hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, bromine, and iodine. The lander's panoramic telephotometers captured black-and-white images showing a surface with 30 to 40 cm rocks, no shadows, and no apparent dust, though one camera lens cover failed, limiting pictures to 180 degrees. The mission demonstrated the feasibility of surviving Venus's extreme environment and provided foundational data for subsequent Venus missions.
Did You Know?
- The lander was the first spacecraft to return an image from the surface of another planet.
- The orbiter performed 17 survey missions from October 26, 1975, to December 25, 1975.
- The lander measured a surface pressure of about 9,100 kilopascals (90 atm) and a temperature of 485 °C (905 °F).
- One of the lander's two camera lens covers failed to come off, limiting panoramic pictures to 180 degrees.
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