Exactly 60 years ago, May 19, 1961, the Soviet automatic interplanetary station “Venus-1” passed at a distance of approximately 100,000 km from the planet Venus and moved to her heliocentric orbit. At that time it was the first Space Interplanetary Apparatus of Earthlings.
The Venus-1 apparatus was launched using a four-stage launch of a “zipper” carrier. He had two solar panels and an acutely directed parabolic antenna, which was first applied to transfer telemetry information. On the way to the goal of “Venus-1” held several important research of outer space. The presence of plasma of solar wind was confirmed, and data was obtained on its parameters in the vicinity of the Earth and at a distance of 1.9 million km from it.
The final part of the route was not so successful. After 7 days, contact with the station was lost. On May 19-20, 1961, Venus-1 passed at a distance of approximately 100,000 km from the Venus planet.
The launch of the venera-1 automatic interplanetary station has become an important stage in the development of space technology. It was the first apparatus designed to study the planets. Much at this station was tested for the first time, for example, for the first time the technique of the three-axis orientation of the spacecraft in the orbital coordinate system on the Sun and the star canopus.
The first station that has reached the Venus surface was the automatic interplanetary station “Venus-3”, launched on November 16, 1965.
Currently, the concept of implementing the project to study Venus is “Venus-D”. The scientific program of the project involves the study of the structure of the mineralogical, chemical, elemental composition of the surface; processes of the interaction of the atmosphere and surface; electromagnetic, and seismic activity; Building, composition and chemistry cloud layer, as well as a number of other properties of the planet.