Vega 1 and 2
Two identical Soviet spacecraft each carrying a Venus lander and Halley's Comet flyby probe. The spacecraft released balloons into the atmosphere of Venus and landers onto the surface before flying on to a rendezvous with Halley in March 1986. The twin Vegas passed 8,900 km and 8,000 km, respectively, from the comet's nucleus, returning photographs and analyzing ejected gas and dust. Both had a mass of about 4,000 kg and were launched by a Proton rocket.
| spacecraft |
launch date |
notes |
| Vega 1 |
Dec. 15, 1984 |
Ejected Venus lander Jun. 10, 1985;
Halley flyby on Mar. 6, 1986 |
| Vega 2 |
Dec. 21, 1984 |
Ejected Venus lander Jun. 14, 1985;
Halley flyby on Mar. 9, 1986 |
Related entry
comet and asteroid missions
Related category
SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES
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