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Science 21 March 1986:
Vol. 231. no. 4744, pp. 1407 - 1408
DOI: 10.1126/science.231.4744.1407
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Articles

The VEGA Venus Balloon Experiment

R. Z. SAGDEEV 1, V. M. LINKIN 1, J. E. BLAMONT 2, and R. A. PRESTON 3

1 Space Research Institute, 117810 Moscow, U.S.S.R.
2 Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, 75039 Paris Cedex 01, France.
3 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109.

In June 1985, two instrumented balloons were placed in the atmosphere of Venus as part of the VEGA mission. Each balloon traveled about 30 percent of the way around the planet at a float altitude near 54 kilometers. In situ sensors measured pressure, temperature, vertical wind velocity, cloud particle backscatter, ambient light level, and frequency of lightning. A ground-based network of 20 radio antennas tracked the balloons by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) techniques to monitor the Venus winds. The history, organization, and principal characteristics of this international balloon experiment are described.

Submitted on October 23, 1985
Accepted on January 24, 1986


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
VEGA Balloon System and Instrumentation.
R. S. KREMNEV, V. M. LINKIN, A. N. LIPATOV, K. M. PICHKADZE, A. A. SHURUPOV, A. V. TERTERASHVILI, R. V. BAKITKO, J. E. BLAMONT, C. MALIQUE, B. RAGENT, et al. (1986)
Science 231, 1408-1411
   Abstract »    PDF »
Overview of VEGA Venus Balloon in Situ Meteorological Measurements.
R. Z. SAGDEEV, V. M. LINKIN, V. V. KERZHANOVICH, A. N. LIPATOV, A. A. SHURUPOV, J. E. BLAMONT, D. CRISP, A. P. INGERSOLL, L. S. ELSON, R. A. PRESTON, et al. (1986)
Science 231, 1411-1414
   Abstract »    PDF »
Determination of Venus Winds by Ground-Based Radio Tracking of the VEGA Balloons.
R. A. PRESTON, C. E. HILDEBRAND, G. H. PURCELL JR., J. ELLIS, C. T. STELZRIED, S. G. FINLEY, R. Z. SAGDEEV, V. M. LINKIN, V. V. KERZHANOVICH, V. I. ALTUNIN, et al. (1986)
Science 231, 1414-1416
   Abstract »    PDF »


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