Venera Images, VENERA 13 fully calibrated image Options

[vikingmars]

Here is the Venera 13 fully calibrated image, produced from raw imaging 3-filters data (note the 3 horizons at left well discernible). It was published inside "L'Astronomie Magazine" of Societe Astronomique de France.
Enjoy !

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[nprev]

Thanks for sharing this with us, Ralph. In your estimation, were the Veneras on the high or low side of optimum landing configuration (if that makes sense) given your analysis?

[rlorenz]

In your estimation, were the Veneras on the high or low side of optimum landing configuration (if that makes sense) given your analysis?

None of them fell over, so the design can be claimed to be robust. But the question of optimality is meaningless without a stated success criterion (i.e. given an [unknown]
surface slope distribution and given an [unknown, but kindof handwavy-estimated here] wind distribution, and given a requirement for e.g. 99% success THEN a certain
design can be considered optimal)

The fundamental point is that any planetary landing entails uncertainty (qv Philae) and thus no finite-cost design can offer 100% reliability. Thus rational design and
evaluation entails the statement of an acceptable degree of risk. Where terrain (or meteorological) factors introduce an entirely stochastic element to the landing
dynamics, an optimal mission solution may be to build two 90% landers to achieve an overall 99% chance of safe landing.