Two identical Soviet spacecraft each carrying a Venus lander and Halley’s Comet flyby probe. The spacecraft released balloons into the atmosphere of Venus and landers onto the surface before flying on to a rendezvous with Halley in March 1986. The twin Vegas passed 8,900 km and 8,000 km, respectively, from the comet’s nucleus, returning photographs and analyzing ejected gas and dust. Both had a mass of about 4,000 kg and were launched by a Proton rocket.
Spacecraft
Launch date
Notes
Vega 1
Dec. 15, 1984
Ejected Venus lander Jun. 10, 1985;
Halley flyby on Mar. 6, 1986
Vega 2
Dec. 21, 1984
Ejected Venus lander Jun. 14, 1985;
Halley flyby on Mar. 9, 1986