Engineering:5VK

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Short description: Soviet unmanned Venus and Halley comet probe design
5VK
Vega model - Udvar-Hazy Center.JPG
Vega solar system probe bus and landing apparatus (model) - Udvar-Hazy Center
ManufacturerOKB-1
Country of originSoviet Union
OperatorSoviet Space Program
← 4MV

The 5VK planetary probe (short for 5th-generation Venus-Comet probe) is a designation for a common design used for Soviet unmanned probes to comet 1P/Halley and Venus.[1][2][3]

It was an incremental improvement of earlier 4MV probes used for Mars and Venus missions.

Design

The craft was three-axis stabilized[4] and powered by twin large solar panels, weighing 4,920 kg (10,850 lb). They were equipped with a dual bumper shield for dust protection from Halley's comet. Instruments included an antenna dish, cameras, spectrometer, infrared sounder, magnetometers, and plasma probes.[5][4]

Variants

See also

References