Vega 1
Vega 1 (along with its twin Vega 2) was a Soviet space probe, part of the Vega program. The spacecraft was a development of the earlier Venera craft. They were designed by Babakin Space Centre and constructed as 5VK by Lavochkin at Khimki. The name VeGa (ВеГа) combines the first two letters from the Russian words for Venus (Венера: "Venera") and Halley (Галлея: "Galleya").
Vega Solar System probe bus and landing apparatus (model) | |
| Names | Venera-Halley 1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Planetary science including lander and atmospheric probe |
| Operator | Soviet Academy of Sciences |
| COSPAR ID | |
| SATCAT no. |
|
| Mission duration | Balloon: 2 days Orbiter: 2 years, 1 month and 15 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | 5VK No. 901 |
| Spacecraft type | 5VK |
| Manufacturer | NPO Lavochkin |
| Launch mass | 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | December 15, 1984, 09:16:24 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton 8K82K |
| Launch site | Baikonur 200/39 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 30 January 1987 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 6,558 kilometres (4,075 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.03080 |
| Perigee altitude | 159 kilometres (99 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 202 kilometres (126 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.5° |
| Period | 88 minutes |
| Flyby of Venus | |
| Closest approach | 11 June 1985 |
| Distance | ~39,000 kilometres (24,000 mi) |
| Venus atmospheric probe | |
| Spacecraft component | Vega 1 Balloon |
| Atmospheric entry | 02:06:10, 11 June 1985 |
| Venus lander | |
| Spacecraft component | Vega 1 Descent Craft |
| Landing date | 03:02:54, 11 June 1985 |
| Landing site | 7.5°N 177.7°E (north of Aphrodite Terra) |
| Flyby of 1P/Halley | |
| Closest approach | 6 March 1986 |
| Distance | ~10,000 km (6,200 mi) |
Insignia of the mission | |
The craft was powered by twin large solar panels and instruments included an antenna dish, cameras, spectrometer, infrared sounder, magnetometers (MISCHA), and plasma probes. The 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb) craft was launched by a Proton 8K82K rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tyuratam, Kazakh SSR. Both Vega 1 and 2 were three-axis stabilized spacecraft. The spacecraft were equipped with a dual bumper shield for dust protection from Halley's comet.