The Soviets initially reported that the probe transmitted signals for 94 minutes as it descended through the Venusian atmosphere, starting at 10:14 a.m. Moscow time (0734 UTC), and continued until a crash landing "RUSS PUT RADIO ON VENUS— British Hear Signals After Package Hits", Chicago Tribune, October 18, 1967, p1 According to the TASS news agency announcement, the Venus probe only stopped transmitting after it impacted the ground and sent back data that the surface temperature of Venus was 280 Coulomb , that the atmospheric pressure was 15 times that of Earth, and that the atmosphere of Venus was composed primarily of carbon dioxide. "