Skip to main content

Balloons, Comets, and Radar Magic

  • Chapter
The Superpower Space Race
  • 198 Accesses

Abstract

The 1978 flight of the American Pioneer Venus Orbiter revealed the gross features of Venusian topography by using a small on-board radar. However, the Pioneer instrument was limited to a resolution of only 20 km (12.4 mi). This was sufficient to understand the overall Venusian topography and to establish the mean level of the surface, but the geology and tectonics of the surface remained elusive.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. John Noble Wilford, Mars Beckons (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990), p. 123.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J. Kelly Beatty, “Interplanetary Explorations from Afar.” Planetary Report, January/ February, 1987, p. 6.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Interview with Valery Timofeev, Lavochkin Association, conducted at Ft. Worth, Texas, August 31, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1994 Robert Reeves

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Reeves, R. (1994). Balloons, Comets, and Radar Magic. In: The Superpower Space Race. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-5986-7_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-5986-7_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-306-44768-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-5986-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics