Venera 3

Description

Venera 3 was launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (65-092B) towards the planet Venus. The mission of this spacecraft was to land on the Venusian surface. The entry body contained a radio communication system, scientific instruments, electrical power sources, and medallions bearing the coat of arms of the U.S.S.R. The station impacted Venus on March 1, 1966, making Venera 3 the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet. However, the communications systems had failed on 16 February, before planetary data could be returned.

Spacecraft and Subsystems

The spacecraft was a 3MV-4 type, originally built for a Mars mission, but repurposed for Venus. It comprised a carrier bus and an attached lander probe. The lander probe was attached to one end of the bus and consisted of a 90 cm sphere with a mass of 310 kg, containing parachutes, two 32 cm transmitters and antennas. It was battery powered and had a science payload including atmospheric temperature,pressure, density, composition, acidity, and electrical conductivity experiments, gamma-ray sensor, cosmic ray detector, visible photometer, and mercury level experiment.

The bus spacecraft had a basically cylindrical body topped by a truncated cone. It was 1.1 meters in diameter, 2.7 meters long (3.6 meters with the attached lander probe) and had a launch mass of 963 kg. It had two solar panel wings, with a total area of 2.6 square meters, that spanned 4.4 meters and were partially covered with solar cells. The 60 cm long KDU-414 gimbaled propulsion unit had a thrust of 2 kN and was mounted on the opposite end from the lander probe. Communications were provided at ~6000 (5 cm), ~3750 (8 cm), or 922.776 MHz (~32 cm) by a 1.7 meter parabolic high-gain dish antenna and two low-gain antennas. Commands were received at 768.96 MHz (~39 cm) using the low gain antennas.

Attitude control was achieved using a pneumatic cold gas jet system and gyroscopes, with Sun, Earth, and star sensors. Power was provided by the solar cells charging a NiCd battery. Large hemispherical radiators affixed to the ends of the solar panels and a hybrid liquid-gas circulating system, along with foil and fiberglass insulation, provided thermal control. A tape recorder stored data for transmission sessions, for which the spacecraft had to be turned so its high gain antenna faced the Earth. A pressurized compartment held the electronics and science instruments. It carried a TV imaging system and a suite of scientific instruments, including spectrometers, micrometeoroid detectors, energetic particle sensors, ion traps, a magnetometer, radio detector, and cosmic radio emission receiver. The instruments were mounted on the spacecraft bus, a long boom, or on the ends of the solar panels.

Mission Profile

Venera 3 launched on 16 November 1965 at 04:13 UT from Baikonur Cosmodrome. A mid-course correction was performed on 26 December 1965. On 16 February 1966 contact with Venera 3 was lost. (Loss was thought to be due to overheating of the spacecraft.) The spacecraft continued on to Venus and released its lander probe autonomously. It reached Venus, entered the atmosphere, and reached the surface on 1 March 1966. Although communications had failed, estimates of the impact site put it in an area between 20 N and 30 S latitude, and 60 to 80 E longitude, with impact at approximately 06:56 UT.

Spacecraft image for illustrative purposes - not necessarily in the public domain.