Dec 15 1984
From The Space Library
December 15-21: The Soviet Union launched the automatic interplanetary station Vega-1 as part of a program for the exploration of outer space and planets of the solar system. The multipurpose flight provided for exploration of Venus and Halley’s Comet. The first portion of the flight of Vega-1 would continue the study of the atmosphere, cloud layer, and surface of Venus by means of a descent module that would carry out new experiments with an aerostat probe. Scientists and technicians from Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Czechoslovakia joined Soviet scientists, designers, engineers, and technicians to create the package of research equipment and apparatuses. The station was due to reach the vicinity of Venus in mid-June 1985 and pass near Halley’s Comet in March 1986.
The Soviet Union launched December 21 Vega-2, which should, like Vega-1, reach the area of Venus in the middle of June 1985 and travel close to Halley’s Comet in March 1986. The Vega-2 station should drop landing craft and balloons into the Venusian atmosphere. (FBIS, Tass in English, Dec 15/84; FBIS, Moscow Dom Svc in Russian, Dec 21/84)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
