What Was the First Spacecraft to Land on Another Planet?
The Soviet Union was the first country on Earth to land a spacecraft on another planet, and the first to transmit data back home. In December 1970, the probe Venera 7 crash-landed on Venus and, for just a few minutes, sent back historic information -- such as temperature (an astounding 887 degrees Fahrenheit or 475 degrees Celsius), atmospheric pressure (92 bar) and wind speed (5.6 mph or 9 km/h).
The unmanned Venera 7 launched from present-day Kazakhstan and successfully left Earth's orbit to embark on a four-month interplanetary voyage. A parachute was supposed to slow its fall to the surface of Venus, but the chute collapsed during descent, resulting in a 29-minute free-fall. The craft appeared to stop sending signals after the crash, but about 23 minutes of data were later discovered.
Uncovering some of Venus' secrets:
Scientists say that the spacecraft probably bounced onto its side after the crash, meaning that the antenna was not aimed correctly for sending strong transmissions to Earth.
The pressure reading recorded by Venera 7 corresponds to an atmosphere about 90 times heavier than Earth's. The pressure there is similar to diving 3,000 feet (914 m) beneath the ocean.
Venera 7 confirmed that humans would not able to survive on Venus. The spacecraft's data also excluded the possibility that liquid water exists there.
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