VENUS PROBES: The overview of the Russian launches toward Venus.

Post-Soviet developments

Russia launches European Venus orbiter

Published: 2005 Nov. 14

A Russian rocket successfully launched the Venus-Express spacecraft for the European Space Agency, ESA, the first probe designed to study Venus in more than a decade.

A Soyuz FG-Fregat booster, carrying the Venus-Express, blasted off on November 9, 2005, at 06:33 Moscow Time from Site 31 in Baikonur Cosmodrome. The first stage of the launch vehicle separated 1 minute 58 seconds after the launch and the fairing was jettisoned 4 minutes 14 seconds in flight. It impacted 600 kilometers downrange from the usual drop zone in order to improve the performance of the launch vehicle and reduce heat loads on the spacecraft at the request of ESA.

The payload and its Fregat upper stage successfully reached the initial parking orbit and separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle 8 minutes 48 seconds after the liftoff. The upper stage later fired to inject the spacecraft into the geliocentric trajectory toward Venus.

During the pre-launch precessing, on October 22, 2005, the mission was delayed by what was then estimated as approximately 10 days from the original launch date of October 26, 2005. It was caused by problems with the thermal protection layer of the Fregat upper stage and the contamination of the spacecraft. On October 31, the State Commission rescheduled the launch for November 9, 2005. The launch window was open from October 26, 2005 to November 26, 2005.

Venera-D project

On October 22, 2005, the Russian government signed a decree No. 635, approving Federal Space Program for 2006-2015. It included funding for the Venera-D project, which envisioned a long-duration lander on the surface of Venus, which could function as long as 30 days. Speaking at the 5th International Aerospace Congress in Moscow, on August 29, 2006, Deputy Chief of the Federal Space Agency, Vitaly Davydov, listed Venera-D among high-priority exploration projects funded by the Russian government.

As of 2004, the launch of the spacecraft was expected in 2013 and its landing on the surface of Venus in 2014. During 2006, the mission was re-scheduled to 2016 and the estimates during 2007 quoted a more conservative 2016-2018 launch window, contingent on the beginning of the funding in 2007.

During 2006 and 2007, Russian and European sources discussed the possibility of the cooperative mission, which could include European orbital module, Russian lander, European atmospheric balloon, small landing probes and Japanese atmospheric balloon.

The spacecraft would be launched by the Soyuz-2 rocket with the Fregat upper stage from the European facility in Kourou, French Guiana.

This page is maintained by Anatoly Zak; last update: July 16, 2007

PICTURE GALLERY

Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

Dissected 2MV spacecraft configured for Venus mission. All launches of the craft toward Venus in August and September 1962 were unsuccessful due to upper stage failures.

3MV (Mars-Venus) spacecraft configured for the mission to Venus. 3MV-4 #4 spacecraft was officially announced as Venera-2, 3MV-3 #1 as Venera-3.

Replica of the Venera-4 lander.

The dissected Venus lander.

Maneuvering engine used in deep space onboard Venera and Mars spacecraft.

The Venera spacecraft with the radar antenna during pre-launch assembly.

The radar assembly of the Venera-15 and Venera-16 orbiters.

The Vega-1 and 2 lander. The payload of the atmospheric baloon deployed by Vega spacecraft during the descent can seen on the right.

The Vega-1 and 2 orbiter.