Введение
Миссия к Венере, осуществленная Соединенными Штатами в рамках проекта "Пионер-Венера".
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Орбитальный аппарат "Пионер-Венера", также известный как "Пионер-Венера 1" или "Пионер-12", был миссией к Венере, проведенной NASA в рамках проекта "Пионер-Венера". Запущенный в мае 1978 года ракетой-носителем Atlas Centaur, космический аппарат был выведен на эллиптическую орбиту вокруг Венеры 4 декабря 1978 года. Он передавал данные с Венеры до октября 1992 года. Космический аппарат представлял собой плоский цилиндр диаметром и длиной. Все приборы и подсистемы космического аппарата были установлены на переднем конце цилиндра, за исключением магнитометра, который находился на конце стрелы. Солнечная батарея простиралась по окружности цилиндра. Дисковая антенна с деспином обеспечивала связь в S- и X-диапазонах с Землей. Твердотопливный ракетный двигатель Star 24 был интегрирован в космический аппарат для обеспечения тяги при выходе на орбиту вокруг Венеры. Орбитальный аппарат "Пионер-Венера" разрушился при входе в атмосферу Венеры 22 октября 1992 года.
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Фотополяриметр облаков (OCPP) для измерения вертикального распределения облаков, аналогичный фотополяриметру изображений "Пионер-10" и "Пионер-11" (IPP), радиолокационный картограф поверхности (ORAD) для определения топографии и характеристик поверхности. Наблюдения могли проводиться только когда зонд находился на расстоянии менее над планетой. Сигнал S-диапазона мощностью 20 Вт (1,757 гигагерц) посылался на поверхность, который отражался, и зонд анализировал эхо. Разрешение в перицентре составляло инфракрасный радиометр (OIR) для измерения ИК-излучения от атмосферы Венеры, ультрафиолетовый спектрометр воздушного свечения (OUVS) для измерения рассеянного и испускаемого УФ-света, нейтральный масс-спектрометр (ONMS) для определения состава верхних слоев атмосферы, анализатор плазмы солнечного ветра (OPA) для измерения свойств солнечного ветра, магнитометр (OMAG) для характеристики магнитного поля Венеры, детектор электрического поля (OEFD) для изучения солнечного ветра и его взаимодействий, термометр электронов (OETP) для изучения тепловых свойств ионосферы, ионный масс-спектрометр (OIMS) для характеристики ионного состава ионосферы, анализатор замедляющего потенциала заряженных частиц (ORPA) для изучения ионосферных частиц, два радиоэксперимента для определения гравитационного поля Венеры, эксперимент радиооккультации для характеристики атмосферы, эксперимент по атмосферному торможению для изучения верхних слоев атмосферы, радиоэксперимент по турбулентности атмосферы и солнечного ветра, детектор гамма-всплесков (OGBD) для регистрации событий гамма-всплесков.
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
+Детали приборов
Наименование Полное обозначение Тип Производитель Ответственный ученый Масса Энергопотребление
OCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Фотополяриметр GISS J. Hansen (позже L. Travis) 5,4 Вт
ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Радар MIT G. Pettengill 18 Вт
OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Инфракрасный радиометр JPL F. Taylor 5,2 Вт
OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ультрафиолетовый спектрометр LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1,7 Вт
ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Нейтральный масс-спектрометр GSFC H. Neimann 12 Вт
OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Анализатор плазмы ARC J. Wolfe (позже A. Barnes) 5 Вт
OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Магнитометр UCLA C. Russell 2,2 Вт
OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Измерение электрических полей Венеры TRW F. Scarf 0,7 Вт
OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Термометр электронов GSFC L. Brace 4,8 Вт
OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ионный масс-спектрометр GSFC H. Taylor 1,5 Вт
ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Измеритель заряда ионов LPARL W. Knudsen 2,4 Вт
OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Детектор гамма-всплесков LASL W. Evans 1,3 Вт
Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – –
Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) – –
Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) – –
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) – –
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) – –
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) – –
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (Университет Боулдера, Колорадо); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center; GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Космический аппарат проводил радиолокационную альтиметрию, что позволило создать первую глобальную топографическую карту поверхности Венеры. Приборы также можно классифицировать по тому, что они предназначены для измерения или анализа:
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Состав и структура атмосферы
Масс-спектрометр большого зонда (LNMS)
Газовый хроматограф большого зонда (LGC)
Нейтральный масс-спектрометр автобуса (BNMS)
Нейтральный масс-спектрометр орбитального аппарата (ONMS)
Ультрафиолетовый спектрометр орбитального аппарата (OUVS)
Атмосферный спектрометр большого/малого зонда (LAS/SAS)
Эксперименты по атмосферному распространению (OGPE)
Эксперимент по атмосферному торможению орбитального аппарата (OAD)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Облака
Туманный спектрометр большого/малого зонда (LN/SN)
Спектрометр размера частиц облаков большого зонда (LCPS)
Фотополяриметр облаков орбитального аппарата (OCPP)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Тепловой баланс
Радиометр солнечного потока большого зонда (LSFR)
Инфракрасный радиометр большого зонда (LIR)
Радиометр чистого потока малого зонда (SNFR)
Инфракрасный радиометр орбитального аппарата (OIR)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Динамика
Дифференциальная интерферометрия с длинной базой (DLBI)
Доплеровское отслеживание зондов (MWIN)
Эксперименты по атмосферной турбулентности (MTUR/OTUR)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Солнечный ветер и ионосфера
Масс-спектрометр ионов автобуса (BIMS)
Ионный масс-спектрометр орбитального аппарата (OIMS)
Термометр электронов орбитального аппарата (OETP)
Анализатор замедляющего потенциала орбитального аппарата (ORPA)
Магнитометр орбитального аппарата (OMAG)
Анализатор плазмы орбитального аппарата (OPA)
Детектор электрического поля орбитального аппарата (OEFD)
Эксперименты радиооккультации двойной частоты орбитального аппарата (ORO)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Поверхность и внутреннее строение
Радиолокационный картограф орбитального аппарата (ORAD)
Эксперименты по распределению внутренней плотности орбитального аппарата (OIDD)
Эксперименты по небесной механике орбитального аппарата (OCM)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Астрономия высоких энергий
Детектор гамма-всплесков орбитального аппарата (OGBD)
Mission to Venus conducted by the United States as part of the Pioneer Venus project
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter, also known as Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer 12, was a mission to Venus conducted by NASA as part of the Pioneer Venus project. Launched in May 1978 atop an Atlas Centaur rocket, the spacecraft was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. It returned data from Venus until October 1992. The spacecraft was a flat cylinder, in diameter and long. All instruments and spacecraft subsystems were mounted on the forward end of the cylinder, except the magnetometer, which was at the end of a boom. A solar array extended around the circumference of the cylinder. A despun dish antenna provided S and X band communication with Earth. A Star 24 solid rocket motor was integrated into the spacecraft to provide the thrust to enter orbit around Venus. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere of Venus on October 22, 1992.
a cloud photo polarimeter (OCPP) to measure the vertical distribution of the clouds, similar to Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 imaging photo polarimeter (IPP)
a surface radar mapper (ORAD) to determine topography and surface characteristics. Observations could only be conducted when the probe was closer than over the planet. A 20 watt S band signal (1.757 gigahertz) was sent to the surface that reflected it, with the probe analyzing the echo. Resolution at periapsis was an infrared radiometer (OIR) to measure IR emissions from Venus' atmosphere
an airglow ultraviolet spectrometer (OUVS) to measure scattered and emitted UV light
a neutral mass spectrometer (ONMS) to determine the composition of the upper atmosphere
a solar wind plasma analyzer (OPA) to measure properties of the solar wind
a magnetometer (OMAG) to characterize the magnetic field at Venus
an electric field detector (OEFD) to study the solar wind and its interactions
an electron temperature probe (OETP) to study the thermal properties of the ionosphere
an ion mass spectrometer (OIMS) to characterize the ionospheric ion population
a charged particle retarding potential analyzer (ORPA) to study ionospheric particles
two radio science experiments to determine the gravity field of Venus
a radio occultation experiment to characterize the atmosphere
an atmospheric drag experiment to study the upper atmosphere
a radio science atmospheric and solar wind turbulence experiment
a gamma ray burst (OGBD) detector to record gamma ray burst events
+Instrument details Name Complete designation Type Manufacturer Responsible scientist Mass Electrical consumptionOCPP Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Photo polarimeter GISS J. Hansen (later L. Travis) 5.4 W ORAD Orbiter Radar Mapper Instrument Radar MIT G. Pettengill 18 W OIR Orbiter Infrared Radiometer Infrared radiometer JPL F. Taylor 5.2 W OUVS Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer Ultraviolet spectrometer LASP A. I. F. Stewart 1.7 W ONMS Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer Neutral mass spectrometer GSFC H. Neimann 12 W OPA Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Analzer plasma ARC J. Wolfe (later A. Barnes) 5 W OMAG Orbiter Magnetometer Magnetometer UCLA C. Russell 2.2 W OEFD Orbiter Electric Field Detector Measure the electric fields of Venus TRW F. Scarf 0.7 W OETP Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe Electron temperature gauge GSFC L. Brace 4.8 W OIMS Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer Ion mass spectrometer GSFC H. Taylor 1.5 W ORPA Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer Ion charge meter LPARL W. Knudsen 2.4 W OGBD Orbiter Gamma Ray Burst Detector Gamma ray burst detector LASL W. Evans 1.3 W Venus (ORO) Radio science A. Kliore (JPL) – Orbiter Dual Frequency Experiments (OGPE) T. Croft (SRI) Atmospheric and Solar Wind Turbulence Experiment (OTUR) T. Croft (JPL) Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD) G. Keating (LRC) Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiment (OIDD) R. Phillips (JPL) Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiment (OCM) I. Shapiro (MIT) LASP: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (University of Boulder, Colorado); UCLA: University of California in Los Angeles; JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies; LRC: Langley Research Center; ARC: Ames Research Center; LASL: Los Alamos National Laboratory; SRI: Stanford Research Institute
The spacecraft conducted radar altimetry observations allowing the first global topographic map of the Venusian surface to be constructed. The instruments can also be classified by what they are meant to measure or analyze:
Composition and structure of the atmosphere
Large Probe Mass Spectrometer (LNMS)
Large Probe Gas Chromatograph (LGC)
Bus Neutral Mass Spectrometer (BNMS)
Orbiter Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ONMS)
Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS)
Large/Small Probe Atmosphere Structure (LAS/SAS)
Atmospheric Propagation Experiments (OGPE)
Orbiter Atmospheric Drag Experiment (OAD)
Clouds
Large/Small Probe Nephelometer (LN/SN)
Large Probe Cloud Particle Size Spectrometer (LCPS)
Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimenter (OCPP)
Thermal balance
Large Probe Solar Flux Radiometer (LSFR)
Large Probe Infrared Radiometer (LIR)
Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer (SNFR)
Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR)
Dynamics
Differential Long Baseline Interferometry (DLBI)
Doppler Tracking of Probes (MWIN)
Atmospheric Turbulence Experiments (MTUR/OTUR)
Solar wind and ionosphere
Bus Ion Mass Spectrometer (BIMS)
Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS)
Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe (OETP)
Orbiter Retarding Potential Analyzer (ORPA)
Orbiter Magnetometer (OMAG)
Orbiter Plasma Analyzer (OPA)
Orbiter Electric Field Detector (OEFD)
Orbiter Dual Frequency Occultation Experiments (ORO)
Surface and interior
Orbiter Radar Mapper (ORAD)
Orbiter Internal Density Distribution Experiments (OIDD)
Orbiter Celestial Mechanics Experiments (OCM)
High energy astronomy
Orbiter Gamma Burst Detector (OGBD)
Наблюдения за кометами
С орбиты Венеры орбитальный аппарат "Пионер-Венера" смог наблюдать комету Галлея, когда она была невидима с Земли из-за её близости к Солнцу в феврале 1986 года. Наблюдения ультрафиолетового спектрометра зафиксировали потерю воды из ядра кометы в перигелии 9 февраля. Продлённая миссия позволила операторам космического аппарата провести несколько наблюдений комет, которые изначально не входили в цели миссии. Во время этих наблюдений за кометами ориентация аппарата была изменена, чтобы ультрафиолетовый спектрометр (УФС) мог наблюдать кометы, а не Венеру. Таким образом были исследованы кометы Энке (13-16 апреля 1984 года), Джакобини-Циннера (8-15 сентября 1985 года), Галлея (27 декабря 1985 года – 9 марта 1986 года), Уилсона (13 марта – 2 мая 1987 года), NTT (8 апреля 1987 года) и Макнота (19-24 ноября 1987 года).
From its orbit of Venus, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter was able to observe Halley's Comet when it was unobservable from Earth due to its proximity to the sun during February 1986. UV spectrometer observations monitored the loss of water from the comet's nucleus at perihelion on February 9. The extended mission allowed the spacecraft controllers to make several comet observations that were never part of the original mission objectives. The tilt of the spacecraft was altered during these comet observations so that the Ultraviolet Spectrometer (OUVS) could view the comets rather than Venus. Comets Encke (April 13 16, 1984), Giacobini Zinner (September 8 15, 1985), Halley (December 27, 1985 March 9, 1986), Wilson (March 13 May 2, 1987), NTT (April 8, 1987), and McNaught (November 19 24, 1987) were all observed in this way.