The design of the instrument was based on that of an instrument flown on the Pioneer Venus spacecraft.

* Pioneer 5 ( Pioneer P-2, Thor-Able 4, Pioneer V ) – interplanetary space between Earth and Venus, launched March 11, 1960

In 1978, the end of the program saw a return to the inner solar system, with the Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Multiprobe, this time using orbital insertion rather than flyby missions.

Artist's conception of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft

* Pioneer Venus Orbiter ( Pioneer Venus 1, Pioneer 12 ) – launched December 1978

* Pioneer Venus Multiprobe ( Pioneer Venus 2, Pioneer 13 ) – launched August 1978

** Pioneer Venus Probe Bus – transport vehicle and upper atmosphere probe

** Pioneer Venus Large Probe – 300 kg parachuted probe

** Pioneer Venus North Probe – 75 kg impactor probe

** Pioneer Venus Night Probe – 75 kg impactor probe

** Pioneer Venus Day Probe – 75 kg impactor probe

* Pioneer Venus – first Venus orbiter + landers

In 1980, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter indeed showed that Venus has a small weak magnetic field.

# REDIRECT Pioneer Venus project # Pioneer Venus Orbiter

Cloud structure in Atmosphere of Venus | the Venusian atmosphere in 1979, revealed by ultraviolet observations by Pioneer Venus Orbiter

Pioneer Venus 1 or Pioneer Venus Orbiter was launched in 1978, and studied the planet for more than a decade after orbital insertion in 1978.

Pioneer Venus Orbiter or Pioneer Venus 1 was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978.

The Pioneer Venus Orbiter carried 17 experiments ( with a total mass of 45 kg ):

In order to understand the micrometeoroid population better, a number of spacecraft ( including Lunar Orbiter 1, Luna 3, Mars 1 and Pioneer 5 ) have carried micrometeoroid detectors.

# REDIRECT Pioneer Venus project # Pioneer Venus Orbiter

Had this mission and spacecraft been launched, it would have been designated Pioneer 12 ; that designation was later applied to the Pioneer Venus Orbiter.

Pioneer Venus Orbiter data indicates that Venus does not have a significant magnetic field.

* Pioneer Venus Orbiter in orbit of Venus, was positioned perfectly to take measurements of Halley's Comet during its perihelion February 9, 1986.

This solid-rocket was used in May 1989 to propel the spacacraft from Orbiter Atlantis on a 15-month loop around the Sun and eventually into orbit around Venus for four years of radar surface-mapping.

* Akatsuki space probe, also known as Venus Climate Orbiter.