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Early Orbiters
On October 22, 1975, the Soviet
probe Venera 9 entered orbit becoming the first
artificial satellite of Venus. A battery of cameras
and spectrometers returned information about the
planet's clouds, ionosphere and magnetosphere,
also bistatic radar measurements of the surface.
The 660 kg (1,455
lb) descent vehicle[1] alienated from Venera
9 and landed, taking the first pictures
of the surface and analyzing the crust with
a gamma ray spectrometer and a densitometer.
During descent, pressure, temperature and
photometric measurements were made, and
backscattering and multi-angle scattering
(nephelometer) measurements of cloud density.
It was discovered that the clouds of Venus
are formed in three distinct layers. On
October 25, Venera 10 arrived and carried
out a related program of study. |
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