# Venera 3

> Soviet space probe

**Wikidata**: [Q719607](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q719607)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera_3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/venera-3

## Summary
Venera 3 was a Soviet space probe that became the first human-made object to reach the surface of another planet when it crash-landed on Venus on 1 March 1966. Launched on 16 November 1965, the 960 kg spacecraft was part of the USSR's Venera program and was carried by a Molniya rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

## Key Facts
- **First spacecraft to impact another planet**: crash-landed on Venus on 1 March 1966
- **Launch date**: 16 November 1965 at 04:19 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31
- **Mission duration**: 105 days from launch to impact
- **Spacecraft mass**: 960 kg at launch; 377 kg landing capsule
- **Dimensions**: 1.1 m diameter, 4.2 m height
- **COSPAR ID**: 1965-092A
- **Spacecraft class**: 3MV uncrewed probe design
- **Operator**: S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia
- **Manufacturer**: NPO Lavochkin
- **Launch vehicle**: Molniya rocket

## FAQs
### Q: What made Venera 3 historically significant?
A: Venera 3 achieved the first impact on another planet when it crashed into Venus on 1 March 1966, marking humanity's first physical contact with another world despite the spacecraft failing before arrival.

### Q: Did Venera 3 transmit data from Venus?
A: No, Venera 3's communications systems failed before it reached Venus, so no data was transmitted from the surface or during descent.

### Q: What happened to Venera 3 after launch?
A: After its successful launch on 16 November 1965, Venera 3 traveled through space for 105 days before its hard landing on Venus, though contact was lost before arrival.

### Q: How did Venera 3 differ from Venera 2?
A: While Venera 2 was designed to fly past Venus, Venera 3 carried a landing capsule intended to reach the planet's surface, making it the first attempt to land on another planet.

## Why It Matters
Venera 3 represents a pivotal milestone in space exploration history as the first spacecraft to physically reach another planet, demonstrating that interplanetary travel and planetary surface contact were achievable goals. Despite its communications failure, the mission proved that spacecraft could survive the journey to Venus and successfully impact its surface, laying crucial groundwork for future missions. The 105-day journey showed that precise trajectory calculations could place a spacecraft on another world, a feat that would enable all subsequent planetary exploration. As part of the Soviet Venera program, it marked the beginning of humanity's effort to study Venus up close, eventually leading to successful landings and data return from the hostile Venusian environment. The mission's design as a 3MV-class probe established the template for subsequent Soviet planetary missions, while its hard landing—though unintentional—proved that planetary surfaces could be reached, opening the door to both impactor missions and eventual soft landings.

## Notable For
- **First human-made object to reach another planet's surface** (1 March 1966)
- **First spacecraft of the Venera series designed for atmospheric entry and surface impact**
- **Demonstrated 3MV probe design could complete interplanetary journeys**
- **Established the USSR's lead in planetary exploration during the Space Race**
- **Paved the way for Venera 4's successful atmospheric analysis mission**

## Body
### Mission Overview
Venera 3 was developed by NPO Lavochkin as part of the Soviet Union's ambitious Venera program aimed at exploring Venus. The spacecraft was based on the standardized 3MV uncrewed probe design, which allowed for modular configurations depending on mission objectives. Weighing 960 kg at launch, the probe consisted of a main bus and a 377 kg landing capsule designed to survive atmospheric entry and impact on the Venusian surface.

### Launch and Journey
The mission launched on 16 November 1965 at 04:19 from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 aboard a Molniya rocket. The Molniya booster, specifically designed for Soviet planetary missions, successfully placed Venera 3 on a trajectory that would intersect with Venus 105 days later. The spacecraft traveled approximately 38 million kilometers through space before reaching its destination.

### Technical Specifications
The 3MV-class probe measured 1.1 meters in diameter and stood 4.2 meters tall. Its design incorporated thermal protection systems intended to survive Venus's extreme atmospheric conditions during descent. The landing capsule was equipped with scientific instruments, though the exact payload remains unspecified in available sources. The spacecraft was operated by S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia throughout its mission.

### Mission Outcome
Despite achieving the historic first impact on another planet, Venera 3's mission was only partially successful. Communications with Earth ceased before the spacecraft reached Venus, preventing any scientific data return. The probe crash-landed on Venus on 1 March 1966, becoming the first human-made object to reach another planetary surface through an uncontrolled descent. The mission demonstrated the feasibility of interplanetary travel and planetary impact, setting the stage for future missions that would successfully return data from Venus.

## Schema Markup
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  "name": "Venera 3",
  "description": "Soviet space probe that became the first human-made object to impact another planet",
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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-092A)