Venera 12

Venera 12
	Venera 12 model
Operator	Soviet Academy of Sciences
COSPAR ID	1978-086A; 1978-086C
SATCAT no.	11025; 12028
Mission duration	Travel: 3 months and 6 days; Lander: 110 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	4V-1
Bus	4MV
Launch mass	4,457.9 kg (9,828 lb)
Dry mass	1,600 kg (3,500 lb)
Dimensions	2.3 m × 2.7 m × 5.7 m (7.5 ft × 8.9 ft × 18.7 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date	14 September 1978, 02:25:13 UTC
Rocket	Proton-K/D-1 8K82K
Launch site	Baikonur 81/23
End of mission
Last contact	18 April 1980
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Semi-major axis	6,569 kilometres (4,082 mi)
Perigee altitude	177 kilometres (110 mi)
Apogee altitude	205 kilometres (127 mi)
Inclination	51.5°
Flyby of Venus
Spacecraft component	Venera 12 flight platform
Closest approach	19 December 1978
Distance	~35,000 kilometers (22,000 mi)
Venus lander
Spacecraft component	Venera 12 descent craft
Landing date	21 December 1978, 03:30
Landing site	7°S 294°E / 7°S 294°E
	Venera ← Venera 11 Venera 13 →

The Venera 12 (Russian: Венера-12 meaning Venus 12) was an uncrewed Soviet space mission designed to explore the planet Venus. Venera 12 was launched on 14 September 1978 at 02:25:13 UTC.^[3]

After separating from its flight platform on 19 December 1978, the Venera 12 lander entered the Venus atmosphere two days later at 11.2 kilometres per second (7.0 mi/s). During its descent, the lander employed aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking, ending with atmospheric braking. After a nearly one-hour descent, a soft landing was made at 06:30 Moscow time (0330 UT) on 21 December. Touchdown speed was 7–8 metres per second (23–26 ft/s); landing coordinates are 7°S 294°E / 7°S 294°E / -7; 294. Continuing for about 110 minutes after touchdown, the lander transmitted data to the flight platform for about 110 minutes until the flight platform, which remained in a heliocentric orbit, moved out of range. Venera 11 and 12 carried identical instruments.^[3]

^ ^a ^b Siddiqi, Asif (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF) (second ed.). NASA History Program Office.
^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). The NASA history series (second ed.). Washington, DC: NASA History Program Office. pp. 152–153. ISBN 978-1-62683-042-4. LCCN 2017059404. SP2018-4041.
^ ^a ^b "Venera 12". NASA.

[Venera_12-1] Siddiqi, Asif (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF) (second ed.). NASA History Program Office.

[siddiqi-2] Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). The NASA history series (second ed.). Washington, DC: NASA History Program Office. pp. 152–153. ISBN 978-1-62683-042-4. LCCN 2017059404. SP2018-4041.

[ss-v12-3] "Venera 12". NASA.

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