1 day / second
0.5 AU
Vega 1
Spacecraft
A Soviet spacecraft launched in 1984 that deployed a balloon probe to Venus and then proceeded to make the first close observations of Halley's Comet in 1986.
Key Facts
organization | USSR |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 1984-12-15 |
defunct | 1987-01-30 |
launch mass | 4,840 kg |
Mission Timeline
Launched
December 15, 1984 at 09:16 UTC
Venus
Lander
Vega 1 landed on Venus on June 11, 1985, deploying scientific instruments that operated for 56 minutes under intense atmospheric pressure before succumbing to the extreme surface conditions.
Halley's Comet (1P/Halley)
Flyby
Vega 1 approached within 8,890 kilometers of Halley's Comet on March 6, 1986, capturing the first close-up images of the comet's nucleus and analyzing its composition using a suite of scientific instruments.
Defunct
January 30, 1987 at 00:00 UTC
After completing its dual-purpose mission to study Venus and Halley's Comet, Vega 1 fell silent as it drifted in heliocentric orbit, marking the end of its groundbreaking interplanetary journey.
Related Spacecraft
Vega 2
Launched in 1984
Launched in 1984, Vega 2 successfully deployed a lander and balloon to study Venus' atmosphere and surface before continuing on to become one of the first spacecraft to study Halley's Comet during its 1986 apparition.
