Missions to Venus

Venus orbits closer to Earth than any other planet in the solar system. It should come as no surprise then that it's a frequent destination for spacecraft to visit. Sadly it doesn't get quite as many visits as Earth's other neighbour, Mars. This is probably because Venus is a very unwelcoming planet. It is the hottest planet in the solar system, it has a toxic atmosphere, and any spacecraft that attempt to enter its atmosphere or land on its surface don't last very long. Many earlier missions to Venus did try, and some did survive long enough to send back data and even a few pictures. Most more recent spacecraft like to view Venus from a distance, admiring its deceptive beauty while orbiting the planet. Even so, it's impossible to see Venus' surface as it is constantly covered in clouds. This means that spacecraft have to use technology, like radar, that can see through the clouds.

The first successful mission to Venus was NASA's Mariner 2 which completed a flyby of the planet on 14th December 1962 and measured its temperature. It discovered it to be hot hot hot! Mariner 2 was also the first spacecraft to reach any other planet. Venera 4, a Soviet Union spacecraft, entered Venus' atmosphere in October 1967, revealing that it contains lots of carbon dioxide. Over the next decade or so, more Mariner and Venera missions were sent to Venus. Mariner 5 flew by it in 1967, Venera 5 and 6 delved into its atmosphere again in 1969, while Venera 7 made the first successful landing on Venus in 1970, operating for 23 minutes. Venera 8 did the same in 1972, lasting 63 minutes this time. In 1974, Mariner 10 flew by Venus while on its way to Mercury. It sent back the first close-up images of Venus, and was also the first spacecraft to visit two planets in one mission. Venera 9 and 10 both landed on Venus in 1975 and sent back the first photographs from its surface. These were also the first photographs from the surface of any planet other than Earth.

The years that followed saw the Soviet Union send more Venera spacecraft to Venus. The USA returned in 1990 with NASA's Magellan which mapped much of the planet's surface. Since then, Europe and Japan have joined the fun, with Europe sending Venus Express in 2005 and Japan putting Akatsuki into an orbit of it in 2015.