Nov 14 1978
From The Space Library
NASA announced it was putting Pioneer Venus 2 through maneuvers in preparation for release of four probes to study the atmosphere of Venus. A large probe would be released Nov. 15, three smaller probes Nov. 19. The probes and their transporter bus would arrive at Venus and begin descent into the atmosphere Dec. 9. On Nov. 9, while Pioneer Venus 2 was 11 265 400km (7 000 000m) from Venus, controllers at ARC had made a small trajectory correction to ensure the desired entry point at Venus for the large probe. They also commanded a 90° rotation of the spin axis to point the aft-mounted medium-gain horn antenna toward earth, obtaining a fourfold increase in communications capability. On Nov. 15, just before large-probe release, ARC would maneuver the spacecraft to proper entry angle at Venus, followed Nov. 16 and 19 by maneuvers to reach the desired small-probe entry points spread 9660km (6000mi) apart over Venus's earth-facing hemisphere.
Each of the four probes had its own command, communications, power, and other systems. Heat shields and titanium pressure vessels would help the probes withstand Venus's 480°C (900°F) heat, corrosive atmosphere, and crushing atmospheric pressure, 100 times that of earth. The multiprobe and its sister spacecraft, the orbiter, would conduct 30 experiments to improve understanding of Venus's weather, which in turn would help scientists understand the forces driving earth's weather. (NASA Release 78-177)
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