Pioneer Venus Orbiter (Pioneer 12), NASA's first Venus orbiter, launched on an Atlas SLV-3D Centaur from Cape Canaveral LC-36A; entered a highly elliptical orbit around Venus on 4 December 1978 for atmosphere, ionosphere, and radar mapping.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- Venus
- Payload to orbit
- 590 kg
- Flight
- 17th
- of 32 Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flights
- Date and time
- 20 May 1978, 13:13 UTC
- Rocket
- Atlas SLV-3D Centaur
- Builder
- Convair
- Launch site
- Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
- Payload
- Robotic Exploration
- International designator
- 1978-051
- Launches in 1978
- 52nd of 128
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
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