WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The encapsulated Pioneer Venus-A spacecraft was lifted for mating with its Atlas Centaur launch vehicle at Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, today. Scheduled for launch on May 20, the spacecraft will fly on a trajectory to Venus where it will be placed in orbit on December 4. Pioneer Venus-A, to be renamed Pioneer Venus-1 following launch, is one of two NASA scientific spacecraft to be launched to Venus in 1978 for study of the planet's atmosphere. Pioneer Venus-B, a multi-probe spacecraft, is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral on August 7.