Mission Overview
    ================
      Launched from Kennedy Space Center, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter
      completed its 300-million-mile voyage in 6-plus months and was
      placed into Venusian orbit on December 4, 1978, less than a
      week before the arrival of the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe system.
      The Orbiter's radar provided altimetry maps for nearly all of
      the surface of Venus, resolving features down to about 50
      kilometers across, in addition to providing SAR images using a
      side-looking mode.
 
 
    Mission Phases
    ==============
 
      PIONEER VENUS PRELAUNCH
      -----------------------
        The spacecraft was delivered to the launch site at Kennedy
        Space Center on March 14, 1978.
 
        Spacecraft Id                  : P12
        Target Name                    : VENUS
        Mission Phase Start Time       : 1968-06-01
        Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1978-05-20T13:13
        Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER
 
      PIONEER VENUS LAUNCH
      --------------------
        The spacecraft was launched atop an Atlas-Centaur from
        Kennedy Space Center.
 
        Spacecraft Id                  : P12
        Target Name                    : VENUS
        Mission Phase Start Time       : 1978-05-20T13:13:0
        Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1978-05-21
        Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER
 
      PIONEER VENUS CRUISE
      --------------------
        Two small trajectory correction maneuvers were made on June 1
        and November 2, 1978.  Interplanetary cruise scientific data
        wre collected.  The Pioneer Venus Orbiter completed its
        300-million-mile voyage in 6+ months and was placed into
        Venusian orbit on December 4, 1978.
 
        Spacecraft Id                  : P12
        Target Name                    : VENUS
        Mission Phase Start Time       : 1978-05-21
        Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1978-12-04
        Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER
 
 
      PIONEER VENUS ORBITAL
      ---------------------
        The orbiter was placed into Venusian orbit on December 4,
        1978, less than a week before the arrival of the Pioneer
        Venus Multiprobe.  The planned mission ended August 4, 1979,
        and the extended mission began August 5, 1979.  Two extended
        mission phases of 243 days each were planned, and were
        initiated on April 3, 1980, and December 2, 1980.
 
        Spacecraft Id                  : P12
        Target Name                    : VENUS
        Mission Phase Start Time       : 1978-12-04
        Mission Phase Stop Time        : UNK
        Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER