Vega 2

Vega 2
A replica of the Vega spacecraft displayed at the Udvar-Hazy Center, Virginia, USA
NamesVenera–Halley 2
Mission typeVenus/Halley exploration
OperatorSoviet space program
COSPAR ID1984-128A
1984-128E
1984-128F
SATCAT no.15449
15856
15857
Mission durationLander: 56 minutes
Balloon: 2 days
Flyby: 2 years, 3 months and 3 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft5VK No. 902
Spacecraft type5VK
ManufacturerNPO Lavochkin
Launch mass4,840 kg (10,670 lb)[1]
Landing mass1,520 kg (3,350 lb)
Dimensions2.7 m × 2.3 m × 5.7 m (8.9 ft × 7.5 ft × 18.7 ft) (lander)
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 21, 1984 (1984-12-21), 09:13:52 UTC[1]
RocketProton-K/D
Launch siteBaikonur 200/40
ContractorKhrunichev
End of mission
Last contactMarch 24, 1987[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemHeliocentric
Eccentricity0.17
Perihelion altitude0.70 AU
Aphelion altitude0.98 AU
Inclination51.5°
Period281 days
Flyby of Venus
Closest approachJune 15, 1985
Distance24,500 km (15,200 mi)
Venus atmospheric probe
Spacecraft componentVega 2 Balloon
Atmospheric entry02:06:04, June 15, 1985
Venus lander
Spacecraft componentVega 2 Lander
Landing date03:00:50, June 15, 1985
Landing site8°30′S 164°30′E / 8.5°S 164.5°E / -8.5; 164.5 (Vega 2)
Flyby of 1P/Halley
Closest approachMarch 9, 1986
Distance~8,030 km (4,990 mi)
← Vega 1

Vega 2 (along with Vega 1) was a Soviet space probe part of the Vega program to explore Halley's comet and Venus. The spacecraft was a development of the earlier Venera craft. The name VeGa (ВеГа) combines the first two letters of the Russian words for Venus (Венера: "Venera") and Halley (Галлея: "Galleya"). They were designed by Babakin Space Centre and constructed as 5VK by Lavochkin at Khimki. The craft was powered by large twin solar panels. Instruments included an antenna dish, cameras, spectrometer, infrared sounder, magnetometers (MISCHA) and plasma probes. The 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb) craft was launched on top of a Proton-K 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 for dust protection from Halley's Comet.

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