The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe or Pioneer Venus 2 comprised a bus which carried one large and three small atmospheric probes. None of these atmospheric probes had photographic imaging capabilities and were not designed for soil analysis. They were not even designed for a soft landing; the large probe had a parachute that was designed to cut loose at a certain altitude, and the small probes had no parachute at all. Survival to the surface was considered a bonus. All the entry probes survived the density of the Venusian atmosphere at least until impact, but only one probe survived for a significant period after impact.
The large probe was released on November 16, 1978, and the three small probes on November 20. All four probes entered the Venusian atmosphere on December 9, followed by the bus.
| Large Probe | North Probe | Day Probe | Night Probe | Bus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry time (200 km) | 18:45:32 | 18:49:40 | 18:52:18 | 18:56:13 | 20:21:52 |
| Impact time | 19:39:53 | 19:42:40 | 19:47:59 | 19:52:05 | (signal lost at 110 km altitude) |
| Loss of signal | 19:39:53 | 19:42:40 | 20:55:34 | 19:52:07 | 20:22:55 |
| Impact coordinates | 4°24′N 304°00′E / 4.4°N 304.0°E / 4.4; 304.0 | 59°18′N 4°48′E / 59.3°N 4.8°E / 59.3; 4.8 | 31°18′S 317°00′E / 31.3°S 317.0°E / -31.3; 317.0 | 28°42′S 56°42′E / 28.7°S 56.7°E / -28.7; 56.7 | 37°54′S 290°54′E / 37.9°S 290.9°E / -37.9; 290.9 (estimated) |
| Solar Zenith Angle | 65.7 | 108.0 | 79.9 | 150.7 | 60.7 |
| Local Venus time | 7:38 | 3:35 | 6:46 | 0:07 | 8:30 |
Read more about this topic: Pioneer Venus Project
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