Venera 6
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| Venera 6 | |
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| Image:Venera 5 6.jpg Venera-6 |
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| Organization: | USSR |
| Mission type: | Lander |
| Satellite of: | Venus |
| Orbital Insertion date: | Landed on May 17, 1969 |
| Launch Date: | January 10, 1969 |
| Launch Vehicle: | Tyazheliy Sputnik |
| Mission Duration: | January 10, 1969 to May 17, 1969 |
| NSSDC ID: | 1969-002A |
| Mass: | 1130 kg |
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Venera 6 (Russian:Венера-6) was a Soviet spacecraft, launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (69-002C) on January 10, 1969 towards Venus to obtain atmospheric data. It had an on-orbit dry mass of 1130 kg.
The spacecraft was very similar to Venera 4 although it was of a stronger design. When the atmosphere of Venus was approached, a capsule weighing 405 kg was jettisoned from the main spacecraft. This capsule contained scientific instruments.
During descent towards the surface of Venus, a parachute opened to slow the rate of descent. For 51 min on May 17, 1969, while the capsule was suspended from the parachute, data from the Venusian atmosphere were returned. It landed at 5° S, 23° E.
The spacecraft also carried a medallion bearing the State Coat of Arms of the U.S.S.R. and a bas-relief of V.I. Lenin to the night side of Venus.
Given the results from Venera 4, the Venera 5 and Venera 6 landers contained new chemical analysis experiments tuned to provide more precise measurements of the atmosphere's components. Knowing the atmosphere was extremely dense, the parachutes were also made smaller so the capsule would reach its full crush depth before running out of power (as Venera-4 had done).
| Venera programme |
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1VA | Venera 1 | Sputnik 19 | Sputnik 20 | Sputnik 21 | Cosmos 21 | Venera 1964A | Venera 1964B | Cosmos 27 | Venera 2 | Venera 3 | Cosmos 96 | Venera 1965A | Venera 4 | Cosmos 167 | Venera 5 | Venera 6 | Venera 7 | Cosmos 359 | Venera 8 | Cosmos 482 | Venera 9 | Venera 10 | Venera 11 | Venera 12 | Venera 13 | Venera 14 | Venera 15 | Venera 16 |
| Flybys: Venera 1 · Mariner 2 · Zond 1 · Venera 2 · Mariner 5 · Mariner 10 · Venera 11 · Venera 12 · Galileo · Cassini-Huygens · MESSENGER | |
| Orbiters: Venera 9 · Venera 10 · Pioneer Venus Orbiter · Venera 15 · Venera 16 · Magellan probe · Venus Express | |
| Descent probes: Venera 3 · Venera 4 · Venera 5 · Venera 6 · Pioneer Venus Multiprobe | |
| Landers: Venera 7 · Venera 8 · Venera 9 · Venera 10 · Venera 11 · Venera 12 · Venera 13 · Venera 14 · Vega 1 · Vega 2 | |
| Balloon probes: Vega 1 · Vega 2 | |
| Future: PLANET-C · BepiColombo · Venera-D | |
| See also: Venus · Exploration of Venus | |
