Venera

Series of 16 Soviet space probes launched towards Venus 1961–83.

Venera 4 (October 1967), and Venera 5 and Venera 6 (May 1969), entered the atmosphere of the planet but were destroyed by the intense heat and pressure before they reached the surface. Venera 7 became the first spacecraft to land on Venus, on 15 December 1970, followed by Venera 8 in July 1972, Venera 9 and Venera 10 in October 1975 (first pictures from the surface), Venera 11 and Venera 12 in December 1978, and Venera 13 and Venera 14 in March 1982 (first soil analysis). Venera 15 and Venera 16, arriving in orbit in October 1983, made radar maps of the cloud-covered planet.