Venera 8 (V-72 #1, 2)

Venera 8 (V-72 #1)

Venera 7 Capsule (V-70 #1) (Venera 8 capsule similar)

The V-72 series was the Soviet Union’s follow-up to the V-70 Venus missions, consisting of two spacecraft: Venera 8 and its twin, Kosmos 482. These missions aimed to continue the exploration of the Venusian atmosphere and surface with improved instruments and descent systems.

The V-72 probes were based on Lavochkins 3MV-1 type Venus probes. Both were identical and carried an improved instrument suit. They consisted each of a fly-by instrument section and a entry capsule.

Venera 8 was successfully launced on 27 March 1972. It successfull entered the atmosphere of Venus on 22 July 1972 and transmitted scientific data for approximately 50 minutes from the surface. The lander confirmed the high surface temperature (~470°C) and pressure (~90 atm) previously reported by Venera 7 and conducted gamma-ray spectrometry of the soil, indicating a composition similar to terrestrial basalt.

Kosmos 482, launched four days after Venera 8, failed to depart Earth orbit due to a malfunction in the upper stage of its launch vehicle. As a result, it was stranded in low Earth orbit and was designated as a Kosmos satellite to obscure the mission's failure. Some fragments of Kosmos 482 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in 1981. The final fragment in orbit, which is believed to be the seperated lander module, will reenter in May 2025 and may survive reentry.