Venus exploration program and international cooperation
Considerable success has been achieved in the Venus exploration. Specifically it concerns with planet’s atmosphere and surface study by contact methods. Thirty years ago descent vehicles of the Vega mission spent record-breaking time, about two hours, on the Venus surface. For the first time in the history of planetary studies balloon probes drifted in Venus atmosphere for two days. They explored atmosphere properties by means of the scientific instruments designed and developed by the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with science community of other countries. It slightly opened secrets of the planet, and an enigma of the atmosphere super rotation in particular. Vega (Venus - Halley comet) mission activities could become a perfect example of the international cooperation. The scientists from eleven countries participated in this project realization. Various alternatives of Venus exploration mission scenario are currently under development after a long break in the Venus exploration. A modern and perspective Russian spacecraft Venera-D project intended for the long-term planet study is supposed to consist of an orbiter, sub-satellites, a lander and balloon probes. Proposals of the international mission organization concerning distribution of the responsibilities for various spacecraft components between parties and probable implementation of various launch vehicles are under consideration. The international cooperation in the implementation of the Venus research complex program shall enable significant increase in the scientific productivity of the projects with simultaneous high cost effectiveness.