 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2011) |
 A replica of the Vega spacecraft displayed at the Udvar-Hazy Center, Virginia, USA | |
| Names | Venera-Halley 1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Venus/Halley exploration |
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| COSPAR ID | 1984-125A 1984-125E 1984-125F |
| SATCAT no. | 15432 15858 15859 |
| Mission duration | Balloon: 2 days Flyby: 2 years, 46 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | 5VK No. 901 |
| Spacecraft type | 5VK |
| Manufacturer | NPO Lavochkin |
| Launch mass | 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 December 1984, 09:16:24 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Proton-K/D |
| Launch site | Baikonur 200/39 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 30 January 1987[1] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Eccentricity | 0.1700 |
| Perihelion altitude | 0.70 AU |
| Aphelion altitude | 0.98 AU |
| Inclination | 2.3° |
| Period | 281 days |
| Flyby of Venus | |
| Closest approach | 11 June 1985 |
| Distance | ~39,000 kilometres (24,000 mi) |
| Venus atmospheric probe | |
| Spacecraft component | Vega 1 Balloon |
| Atmospheric entry | 02:06:10, 11 June 1985 |
| Venus lander | |
| Spacecraft component | Vega 1 Lander |
| Landing date | 03:02:54, 11 June 1985 |
| Landing site | 7°30′N 177°42′E / 7.5°N 177.7°E (north of Aphrodite Terra) |
| Flyby of 1P/Halley | |
| Closest approach | 6 March 1986 |
| Distance | ~10,000 km (6,200 mi) |
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Vega 1 (along with its twin Vega 2) was a Soviet space probe, part of the Vega program. The spacecraft was a development of the earlier Venera craft. They were designed by Babakin Space Centre and constructed as 5VK by Lavochkin at Khimki. The name VeGa (ВеГа) combines the first two letters from the Russian words for Venus (Венера: "Venera") and Halley (Галлея: "Galleya").
The craft was powered by twin large solar panels and instruments included an antenna dish, cameras, spectrometer, infrared sounder, magnetometers (MISCHA), and plasma probes. The 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb) craft was launched by a Proton-K rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tyuratam, Kazakh SSR. Both Vega 1 and 2 were three-axis stabilized spacecraft. The spacecraft were equipped with a dual bumper shield[2] for dust protection from Halley's comet.