Venera 12 - Lander

Lander

The Venera 12 descent craft carried instruments designed to study the detailed chemical composition of the atmosphere, the nature of the clouds, and the thermal balance of the atmosphere. Among the instruments on board was a gas chromatograph to measure the composition of the Venus atmosphere, instruments to study scattered solar radiation and soil composition, and a device named Groza which was designed to measure atmospheric electrical discharges. Results reported included evidence of lightning and thunder, a high Ar36/Ar40 ratio, and the discovery of carbon monoxide at low altitudes. Both Venera 11 and Venera 12 had landers with two cameras, each designed for color imaging. Each failed to return images when the lens covers did not separate after landing due to a design flaw.

List of lander experiments and instruments:

• Backscatter Nephelometer
• Mass Spectrometer - MKh-6411
• Gas Chromatograph - Sigma
• X-Ray Fluorospectrometer
• 360° Scanning Photometer - IOAV
• Spectrometer (430-1170 nm)
• Microphone/Anemometer
• Low-Frequency Radio Sensor
• 4 Thermometers
• 3 Barometers
• Accelerometer - Bizon
• Penetrometer - PrOP-V
• Soil Analysis Device
• 2 Color Cameras
• Small solar batteries - MSB