Venera 9

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

02:37:59

Sunday June 8, 1975

Mission Details

Venera 9

Wiki

Venera 9 (Russian: Венера-9, lit. 'Venus-9'), manufacturer's designation: 4V-1 No. 660, was a Soviet uncrewed space mission to Venus. It consisted of an orbiter and a lander. It was launched on June 8, 1975, at 02:38:00 UTC and had a mass of 4,936 kilograms. The orbiter was the first spacecraft to orbit Venus, while the lander was the first to return images from the surface of another planet. On October 20, 1975, the lander spacecraft separated from the orbiter, and landing was made with the Sun near zenith at 05:13 UTC on October 22. Venera 9 landed within a 150 km radius of 31.01°N 291.64°E, near Beta Regio, on a steep (20°) slope covered with boulders (suspected to be the slope of the tectonic rift valley, Aikhylu Chasma). The entry sphere weighed 1,560 kg and the surface payload was 660 kg. It was the first spacecraft to return an image from the surface of another planet. Many of the instruments began working immediately after touchdown and the cameras were operational 2 minutes later. These instruments revealed a smooth surface with numerous stones. The lander measured a light level of 14,000 lux, similar to that of Earth in full daylight but no direct sunshine.

Elliptical

1 Payload

4,936 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Proton-K/Block D-1

Active 1975 to 1989

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center logo

Manufacturer

Khrunichev

Rocket

Height: 56.14m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 19,000 kg

GTO: 9,000 kg

Liftoff Thrust

9,468 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 3.9m

Height: 10.4m

Stages

4

Launch Site

Site 81/24

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Fastest Turnaround

6 days

Stats

Proton-K


47th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1975

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center


935th

Mission

39th

Mission of 1975

1975


54th

Orbital launch attempt