RESUMO
The VEGA Venus balloon radio transmissions received on Earth were used to measure the motion of the balloons and to obtain the data recorded by onboard sensors measuring atmospheric characteristics. Thus the balloons themselves, the gondolas, the onboard sensors, and the radio transmission system were all components of the experiment. A description of these elements is given, and a few details of data sampling and formatting are discussed.
RESUMO
The VEGA balloons made in situ measurements of pressure, temperature, vertical wind velocity, ambient light, frequency of lightning, and cloud particle backscatter. Both balloons encountered highly variable atmospheric conditions, with periods of intense vertical winds occurring sporadically throughout their flights. Downward winds as large as 3.5 meters per second occasionally forced the balloons to descend as much as 2.5 kilometers below their equilibrium float altitudes. Large variations, in pressure, temperature, ambient light level, and cloud particle backscatter (VEGA-1 only) correlated well during these excursions, indicating that these properties were strong functions of altitude in those parts of the middle cloud layer sampled by the balloons.
