Sputnik 20 - Venera 2b

USSR

Spacecraft n°:

USSR spacecraft n°: 38

Launch data:

Designation	000381 / 1962 A-Tau 1 / 62043A
Launch date	01 Sep 1962 - 2:12 UT
Launch site	B, LC1
Launch vehicle	Molniya 8K78 (T103-13)
Mission
Satellite type	2MV-1 n°2 (Mars Venera)
Mass	6500 kg
Earth orbit on:
Perigee / Apogee	185 / 246 km
Inclination	64,9°
Period	89,40 min
Decay	06 Sep 1962
Lifetime	5,00 days

Partial Failure
At T+ 61 min 30 sec the fuel valve did not open.; the ignition command was blocked from going to the main engine of Stage 4.
The stage remained in Earth orbit.

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor
Customer
Platform
Mass at launch	6500 kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power

Mission:

Sputnik 20 (Unnamed Venera 2MV-1/2) was intended to be a Venus landing mission. The Venera-type spacecraft was successfully inserted into geocentric orbit by the SL-6/A-2-e launcher. The escape stage failed and the spacecraft was stranded in Earth orbit until it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere 5 days later.
This spacecraft was originally designated Sputnik 24 in the U.S. Naval Space Command Satellite Situation Summary.

Ref.: #1, #6r, #7, #8 - update: 31.08.11

Home