Dec 25 1978
From The Space Library
FBIS reported the Soviet Union's Venera 11 had reached Venus Dec. 25, and its descent module had made a soft landing some 800km from where Venera 12's descent module had landed. Main task of Venera 11 and 12 was to examine the characteristics of various areas of Venus. After the descent module separated from Venera 11 Dec. 23, the spacecraft had proceeded on a flyby trajectory some 35 000km from the planet's surface. The Venera 11 module, during descent and while on the planet surface, had performed research similar to that done by the Venera 12 module (scientific and technical experiments and exploration of Venus's surface at 446°C and pressure of 88 atmospheres) for 95min. Descent-module data received by Venera 11 were relayed to earth. After leaving the zone of radio visibility and completing receipt of data, Venera 11 would continue in a heliocentric orbit. Scientific measurement and research begun on the earth-Venus interplanetary route would continue during the flight of Venera 11 and 12. Data obtained from the two spacecraft would be processed and studied in the institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences. (FBIS, Tass Intl Svc in Russian, Dec. 25/78)
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