Venera Satellite Bus

Data current as of 2026-07-20.

The Venera bus accounts for 10 cataloged objects, of which 10 are in orbit and 0 are active. Most are built by NPOL. The largest operator on this bus is IKI/BABTS. The first launched in 1975, the most recent in 1984.

10
In orbit
0
Active
10
Total launched
0
Reentered

Venera launched per year

1 2 1975: 2 objects launched 1976: 0 objects launched 1977: 0 objects launched 1978: 2 objects launched 1979: 0 objects launched 1980: 0 objects launched 1981: 2 objects launched 1982: 0 objects launched 1983: 2 objects launched 1984: 2 objects launched 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983
Still in orbit Click a year to list its satellites.

Typical specifications

Most common values across cataloged Venera satellites.

Manufacturer NPOL
Purpose Venus flyby, Comet Halley flyby
Launch mass 2718 kg
Dry mass 2500 kg
Length 5 m
Diameter 2.5 m
Span 9 m
Shape Flared Cyl + 2 Pan
Power 2 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries
Typical orbit 91 min period, 0° inclination

Top operators

IKI/BABTS 8 IKI/NPOL 2

Top countries

SU 10

Venera satellites

Track any of them live in KeepTrack.

Name NORAD COSPAR Owner Launched Orbit Status Track
VEGA 2 BUS Vega-2 15449 1984-128A IKI/BABTS Dec 21, 1984 · Inactive
VEGA 1 BUS Vega-1 15432 1984-125A IKI/BABTS Dec 15, 1984 · Inactive
VENERA 16 Venera-16 14107 1983-054A IKI/NPOL Jun 7, 1983 · Inactive
VENERA 15 Venera-15 14104 1983-053A IKI/NPOL Jun 2, 1983 · Inactive
VENERA 14 BUS Venera-14 12938 1981-110A IKI/BABTS Nov 4, 1981 · Inactive
VENERA 13 BUS Venera-13 12927 1981-106A IKI/BABTS Oct 30, 1981 · Inactive
VENERA 12 BUS Venera-12 11025 · IKI/BABTS Sep 14, 1978 · Inactive
VENERA 11 BUS Venera-11 11020 1978-084A IKI/BABTS Sep 9, 1978 1437 min, 1.7° Inactive
VENERA 10 BUS Venera-10 07947 · IKI/BABTS Jun 14, 1975 · Inactive
VENERA 9 BUS Venera-9 07915 1975-050A IKI/BABTS Jun 8, 1975 91 min, 51.4° Inactive

Frequently asked questions

How many Venera satellites are there?

The catalog lists 10 objects built on the Venera bus. 10 are in orbit and 0 have reentered.

How many Venera satellites are in orbit?

10 Venera objects are currently in orbit, of which 0 carry an active status.

Who builds the Venera bus?

The Venera bus is most commonly built by NPOL.

When did the first Venera satellite launch?

The first cataloged Venera satellite launched in 1975, and the most recent in 1984.

Satellite data compiled by KeepTrack from CelesTrak, Space-Track, and GCAT, provided under CC BY-NC 4.0.