▁bal lo on ▁expl orer . ▁The ▁fly by ▁pro be ▁performed ▁a ▁gravit ational ▁assist ▁man eu ver ▁using ▁Ven us , ▁and ▁continued ▁its ▁mission ▁to ▁intercept ▁the ▁com et . ▁ ▁Land er ▁The ▁surface ▁land er ▁was ▁identical ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁V ega ▁ 1 ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁previous ▁six ▁V ener a ▁miss ions . ▁The ▁objective ▁of ▁the ▁pro be ▁was ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁the ▁exposed ▁surface ▁of ▁the ▁planet . ▁The ▁scientific ▁payload ▁included ▁a ▁U V ▁spect rom eter , ▁temperature ▁and ▁pressure ▁sens ors , ▁a ▁water ▁concentration ▁meter , ▁a ▁gas - phase ▁chrom at ograph , ▁an ▁X - ray ▁spect rom eter , ▁a ▁mass ▁spect rom eter , ▁and ▁a ▁surface ▁sampling ▁device . ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁scientific ▁tools ▁( the ▁U V ▁spect rom eter , ▁the ▁mass ▁spect ro graph , ▁and ▁the ▁devices ▁to ▁measure ▁pressure ▁and ▁temperature ) ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁French ▁scient ists . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁pro be ▁made ▁a ▁night time ▁landing , ▁no ▁images ▁were ▁taken . ▁ ▁The ▁V ega ▁ 2 ▁land er ▁touched ▁down ▁at ▁ 0 3 : 0 0 : 5 0 ▁U T ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁at ▁around ▁, ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁region ▁of ▁ ▁A ph rod ite ▁Terra . ▁The ▁alt itude ▁of ▁the ▁touch down ▁site ▁was ▁ 0 . 1   km ▁above ▁the ▁planet ary ▁mean ▁radius .