The Pioneer Venus Program

The nation's most extensive and intensive study of the planet Venus and its environment occurred during and subsequent to December 1978: Pioneer Venus. This introductory paper to a special issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research devoted to the scientific findings of both the orbiter and multiprobe missions documents the major aspects of the missions and provides the reader with necessary background information to cope intelligently with the myriad of scientific findings found elsewhere in the issue. Specific topics covered include program history, key scientific questions addressed by Pioneer Venus, scientific payloads, science management, spacecraft descriptions, launch and interplanetary cruise features, encounter features, nominal mission descriptions, instrument anomalies, and the orbiter extended mission.

[1]  D. Campbell,et al.  Nonresonance rotation of Venus , 1979 .

[2]  A. Nagy,et al.  Initial Observations of the Nightside Ionosphere of Venus from Pioneer Venus Orbiter Radio Occultations , 1979, Science.

[3]  J. Blamont,et al.  Nature of the Ultraviolet Absorber in the Venus Clouds: Inferences Based on Pioneer Venus Data , 1979, Science.

[4]  C. Russell,et al.  Initial Pioneer Venus magnetometer observations. , 1979 .

[5]  G. Pettengill,et al.  Pioneer Venus Orbiter Radar Mapper: Design And Operation , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[6]  John A. Ferandin,et al.  Pioneer Venus Unified Abstract Data Library And Quick Look Data Delivery System , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[7]  J. Hansen,et al.  Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter Investigation , 1979, Science.

[8]  U. Zahn,et al.  Venus: eddy coefficients in the thermosphere and the inferred helium content of the lower atmosphere , 1979 .

[9]  A. I. F. Stewart,et al.  Design And Operation of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[10]  A. Lacis,et al.  8. The thermal balance of the atmosphere of venus , 1977 .

[11]  D. Hunten,et al.  9. The venus ionosphere and solar wind interaction , 1977 .

[12]  T. Donahue.  Why explore Venus? , 1977 .

[13]  S. C. Sommer,et al.  Structure of the Atmosphere of Venus up to 110 Kilometers: Preliminary Results from the Four Pioneer Venus Entry Probes , 1979, Science.

[14]  C. Russell,et al.  Initial Pioneer Venus Magnetic Field Results: Dayside Observations , 1979, Science.

[15]  A. Nagy,et al.  On the configuration of the nightside Venus ionopause , 1979 .

[16]  A magnetometer for the pioneer venus orbiter , 1977 .

[17]  H. Revercomb,et al.  Preliminary Results of the Pioneer Venus Small Probe Net Flux Radiometer Experiment , 1979, Science.

[18]  A. Nagy,et al.  Comparison of Calculated and Measured Ion Densities on the Dayside of Venus , 1979, Science.

[19]  J. Hansen,et al.  Cloud Images from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter , 1979, Science.

[20]  J. Pollack,et al.  Implications of the Gas Compositional Measurements of Pioneer Venus for the Origin of Planetary Atmospheres , 1979, Science.

[21]  G. Carle,et al.  Pioneer Venus Sounder Probe Gas Chromatograph , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[22]  C. Russell,et al.  Observation of magnetic flux ropes in the Venus ionosphere , 1979, Nature.

[23]  D. Diner,et al.  Temperature, Cloud Structure, and Dynamics of Venus Middle Atmosphere by Infrared Remote Sensing from Pioneer Orbiter , 1979, Science.

[24]  J. Armstrong,et al.  Measurements of Turbulence in the Venus Atmosphere Deduced from Pioneer Venus Multiprobe Radio Scintillations , 1979, Science.

[25]  R. B. Miller,et al.  Pioneer Venus Multiprobe Entry Telemetry Recovery , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[26]  Charles F. Hall,et al.  The Pioneer Venus Program , 1977 .

[27]  J. Martonchik,et al.  The clouds of Venus , 1977 .

[28]  Wayne T. Kasprzak,et al.  Atomic nitrogen in the upper atmosphere of Venus , 1980 .

[29]  D. Hunten,et al.  Venus Upper Atmosphere Neutral Gas Composition: First Observations of the Diurnal Variations , 1979, Science.

[30]  W. Sjogren,et al.  Gravity Field of Venus: A Preliminary Analysis , 1979, Science.

[31]  R. Ramos,et al.  Data Acquisition for Measuring the Wind on Venus from Pioneer Venus , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[32]  C. Russell,et al.  Pioneer Venus Orbiter Fluxgate Magnetometer , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[33]  S. C. Sommer,et al.  Thermal Contrast in the Atmosphere of Venus: Initial Appraisal from Pioneer Venus Probe Data , 1979, Science.

[34]  A. Nagy,et al.  The energetics of the ionosphere of Venus: A preliminary model based on Pioneer Venus observations , 1979 .

[35]  M. Tomasko,et al.  Pioneer Venus Sounder Probe Solar Flux Radiometer , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[36]  A. Berman,et al.  Pioneer Venus Occultation Radio Science Data Generation , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[37]  A. Nagy,et al.  Empirical Models of the Electron Temperature and Density in the Nightside Venus Ionosphere , 1979, Science.

[38]  J. Pollack,et al.  First Results from the Large Probe Infrared Radiometer Experiment , 1979, Science.

[39]  Lawrence Colin,et al.  The exploration of Venus , 1977 .

[40]  Larry D. Travis,et al.  Imaging And Polarimetry With The Pioneer Venus Orbiter Cloud Photopolarimeter , 1979, Other Conferences.

[41]  G. Keating,et al.  Short-Term Cyclic Variations and Diurnal Variations of the Venus Upper Atmosphere , 1979, Science.

[42]  R. Hartle,et al.  Venus Ionosphere: Photochemical and Thermal Diffusion Control of Ion Composition , 1979, Science.

[43]  L. Elson.  Preliminary results from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter infrared radiometer: Temperature and dynamics in the upper atmosphere , 1979 .

[44]  D. Hunten,et al.  Clouds of Venus: A Preliminary Assessment of Microstructure , 1979, Science.

[45]  M. McElroy,et al.  Composition and Structure of the Venus Atmosphere: Results from Pioneer Venus , 1979, Science.

[46]  C. Russell,et al.  Position and shape of the Venus bow shock: Pioneer Venus Orbiter observations , 1979 .

[47]  David W. Juergens,et al.  Atmosphere Structure Instruments on the Four Pioneer Venus Entry Probes , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[48]  M. Tomasko,et al.  Absorption of Sunlight in the Atmosphere of Venus , 1979, Science.

[49]  R. Knollenberg,et al.  Pioneer Venus Sounder Probe Particle Size Spectrometer , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[50]  W. C. Knudsen,et al.  Pioneer Venus Orbiter Planar Retarding Potential Analyzer Plasma Experiment , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[51]  R. Howarth.  Pyrite: Its Rapid Formation in a Salt Marsh and Its Importance in Ecosystem Metabolism , 1979, Science.

[52]  R. Spalding,et al.  Gamma-Ray Burst Observations by Pioneer Venus Orbiter , 1979, Science.

[53]  J. Apt,et al.  Anomalous features in thermal radiance maps of Venus , 1979 .

[54]  W. M. Kaula,et al.  10. The surface and interior of venus , 1977 .

[56]  B. Ragent,et al.  Further Results of the Pioneer Venus Nephelometer Experiment , 1979, Science.

[57]  J. Mihalov,et al.  The Pioneer Venus Orbiter Plasma Analyzer Experiment , 1980, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[58]  A. Stewart,et al.  Ultraviolet Night Airglow of Venus , 1979, Science.

[59]  J. Cutler,et al.  Pioneer Venus Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe , 1994, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[60]  W M Kaula,et al.  Pioneer Venus Radar Mapper Experiment , 1979, Science.

[61]  D. Diner,et al.  Polar clearing in the Venus clouds observed from the Pioneer Orbiter , 1979, Nature.

[62]  D. Hunten,et al.  11. Pioneer venus experiment descriptions , 1977 .

[63]  T. Donahue.  Pioneer Venus Results: An Overview , 1979, Science.