Mission Archive

JAXA · 2010

Venus

A JAXA orbiter that studied Venus's weather and fast-moving atmosphere. It missed its first attempt to enter orbit in 2010 and succeeded five years later.

ESA · 2005

Venus

ESA's first mission to Venus, which studied the planet's atmosphere and clouds from orbit for eight years, far beyond its planned 500 days.

NASA · 1989

Venus

A NASA orbiter that used radar to see through Venus's clouds, mapping 98% of the surface in detail.

USSR · 1984

Venus, Halley's Comet

A Soviet-led international mission that dropped a lander and a balloon at Venus, then flew on to pass within 9,000 km of Halley's Comet.

USSR · 1975

Venus

A Soviet mission whose lander returned the first images from the surface of another planet, while its carrier became the first spacecraft to orbit Venus.

NASA · 1973

Venus, Mercury

The first spacecraft to visit Mercury and the first to use one planet's gravity to reach another, swinging past Venus on the way. It flew past Mercury three times and imaged almost half its surface.

USSR · 1970

Venus

A Soviet probe that became the first spacecraft to land on another planet and transmit data from its surface. It returned 23 minutes of signal from the surface of Venus.

NASA · 1962

Venus

The first spacecraft to fly past another planet and return data. Its measurements showed that Venus has a very hot surface beneath its clouds.