Venera 7

Courtesy of NASA's National Space Science Data Center

Launch Date: 1970-08-17
On-orbit dry mass: 1180.00 kg

Description

Venera 7 was launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik 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 minutes. Another 23 minutes 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.