Venera 9
Venera 9 was a USSR unmanned space mission to Venus. It consisted of an orbiter and a lander. It launched on June 8, 1975 and the lander landed on Venus October 22, 1975. The lander survived 53 minutes before succumbing to the heat and pressure. Venera 9 measured clouds that were 30-40 km thick with bases at 30-35 km altitude. It also measured atmospheric chemicals including hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, bromine, and iodine. Other measurements included surface pressure and temperature, and surface light levels. Venera 9 was the first probe to send back black and white television pictures from the Venusian surface. Planned 360 degree panoramic pictures could not be taken because one of two camera lens covers failed to come off, limiting pictures to 180 degrees. This failure reoccured on Venera 10.
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