Vega 2

Vega 2

Vega Solar System probe bus and landing apparatus (model)
Names	Venera–Halley 2
Mission type	Planetary Science including lander and atmospheric probe
Operator	Soviet Academy of Sciences
COSPAR ID	1984-128A 1984-128E 1984-128F
SATCAT no.	15449 15856 15857
Mission duration	56 minutes (lander) ~2 days (balloon) 2 years, 3 months and 3 days (orbiter)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	5VK No. 902
Spacecraft type	5VK
Manufacturer	NPO Lavochkin
Launch mass	4,840 kg (10,670 lb)[1]
Landing mass	1,520 kg (3,350 lb)
Dimensions	2.7 m × 2.3 m × 5.7 m (8.9 ft × 7.5 ft × 18.7 ft) (lander)
Start of mission
Launch date	December 21, 1984 (1984-12-21), 09:13:52 UTC[1]
Rocket	Proton 8K82K
Launch site	Baikonur 200/40
End of mission
Last contact	March 24, 1987[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Semi-major axis	6,705.5 kilometres (4,166.6 mi)
Perigee altitude	65 kilometres (40 mi)
Apogee altitude	204 kilometres (127 mi)
Inclination	51.5°
Period	88.1 minutes
Flyby of Venus
Closest approach	June 15, 1985
Distance	24,500 km (15,200 mi)
Venus atmospheric probe
Spacecraft component	Vega 2 Balloon
Atmospheric entry	02:06:04, June 15, 1985
Venus lander
Spacecraft component	Vega 2 Descent Craft
Landing date	03:00:50, June 15, 1985
Landing site	8°30′S 164°30′E / 8.5°S 164.5°E / -8.5; 164.5 (Vega 2)
Flyby of 1P/Halley
Closest approach	March 9, 1986
Distance	~8,030 km (4,990 mi)
Insignia of the mission Vega ← Vega 1 None →

Vega 2 (along with Vega 1) was a Soviet space probe part of the Vega program to explore Halley's comet and Venus. The spacecraft was a development of the earlier Venera craft. The name VeGa (ВеГа) combines the first two letters Russian words for Venus (Венера: "Venera") and Halley (Галлея: "Galleya"). They were designed by Babakin Space Centre and constructed as 5VK by Lavochkin at Khimki. The craft was powered by large twin solar panels. Instruments included an antenna dish, cameras, spectrometer, infrared sounder, magnetometers (MISCHA) and plasma probes. The 4,840 kilograms (10,670 lb) craft was launched on top of a Proton 8K82K rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tyuratam, Kazakh SSR. Both Vega 1 and 2 were three-axis stabilized spacecraft. The spacecraft were equipped with a dual bumper shield for dust protection from Halley's Comet.