Soviet Union Venera program

The Soviet Venera program was a series of space missions aimed at exploring Venus, Earth's neighboring planet. Initiated in the late 1950s, it was one of the first successful attempts to study another planet from close range. The missions included flybys, atmospheric probes, and landers that transmitted data about Venus’s harsh environment—its thick clouds, high temperatures, and surface conditions—back to Earth. Notably, Venera 7 in 1970 was the first spacecraft to land on Venus and send back data, marking a significant achievement in planetary exploration.