There have been 47 space missions to the planet Venus (including gravity-assist flybys). Missions to Venus constitute part of the exploration of Venus. The Soviet Union, followed by the United States, have soft landed probes on the surface. Venera 7 was the first lander overall and first for the Soviet Union, touching down on 15 December 1970. Pioneer Venus 2 contained the first spacecraft to land from the United States, the Day Probe. It soft landed on 9 December 1978. The most recent lander was part of the Vega 2 mission, which soft landed on 15 June 1985.

List As of 2020, the Soviet Union, United States, European Space Agency and Japan have conducted missions to Venus.

Mission Type Legend

Spacecraft Launch dateOperator Mission OutcomeRemarks Carrier rocket 1 (1VA No.1) OKB-1 Impactor Power transformer failure, upper stage failed to ignite, never left LEO Molniya 2 Venera 1(1VA No.2) OKB-1 Impactor Communications failure. First flyby past another planet, on 19 May 1961 at less than ; no data returned Molniya 3 Mariner 1(P-37) NASA Flyby Failed to orbit Earth; destroyed by range safety following guidance failure Atlas-LV3 Agena-B 4 2MV-1 No.1 OKB-1 Lander Premature upper stage cutoff due to ullage motor malfunction; never left LEO Molniya 5 Mariner 2(P-38) NASA Flyby First successful flyby past another planet on 14 December 1962 Atlas-LV3 Agena-B 6 2MV-1 No.2 OKB-1 Lander Upper stage fuel valve failed to open, resulting in failure to ignite; never left LEO Molniya 7 2MV-2 No.1 OKB-1 Flyby Anomalous third stage cutoff resulted in air bubbles forming in fourth stage fuel; fourth stage shut down less than a second after ignition; failed to leave LEO Molniya 8 3MV-1 No.2 OKB-1 Flyby Third stage oxidizer leak caused propellant to freeze in feed lines, which subsequently cracked; failed to orbit Molniya-M 9 Kosmos 27(3MV-1 No.3) OKB-1 Flyby/Lander Upper stage attitude control failure, never left LEO Molniya-M 10 Zond 1(3MV-1 No.4) OKB-1 Flyby/Lander Electronics shorted out, communications lost before flyby. Flew past Venus on 14 July 1964. Molniya-M 11 Venera 2(3MV-4 No.4) OKB-1 Flyby Flew past Venus on 27 February 1966, closest approach at 02:52 UTC. Communications lost after flyby, before any data could be returned. Molniya-M 12 Venera 3(3MV-3 No.1) OKB-1 Lander Communications lost as soon as spacecraft entered atmosphere on 1 March 1966, no data returned. First atmospheric entry and impact on another planet. Molniya-M 13 Kosmos 96(3MV-4 No.6) OKB-1 Flyby Third stage combustion chamber exploded, resulting in loss of control, upper stage failed to ignite; Never left LEO Molniya-M 14 Venera 4(4V-1 No.310) Lavochkin Atmospheric Returned atmospheric data during entry on 18 October 1967. First successful atmospheric entry. Never intended to work on surface Molniya-M 15 Mariner 5 NASA Flyby Flyby on 19 October 1967, closest approach at 17:34:56 UTC Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D 16 Kosmos 167(4V-1 No.311) Lavochkin Lander Upper stage failed to ignite; turbopump cooling malfunction. Never left LEO Molniya-M 17 Venera 5(4V-1 No.330) Lavochkin Atmospheric Entered atmosphere on 16 May 1969, operated for 53 minutes Molniya-M 18 Venera 6(4V-1 No.331) Lavochkin Atmospheric Entered atmosphere on 17 May 1969, operated for 51 minutes Molniya-M 19 Venera 7(4V-1 No.630) Lavochkin Lander Landed at 05:37:10 UTC on 15 December 1970, rolled upon landing and returned severely limited data. First soft landing on another planet. Molniya-M 20 Kosmos 359(4V-1 No.631) Lavochkin Lander Never left LEO Molniya-M 21 Venera 8(4V-1 No.670) Lavochkin Lander Landed at 09:32 UTC on 22 July 1972. First fully successful landing on another planet. Molniya-M 22 Kosmos 482(4V-1 No.671) Lavochkin Lander Never left LEO Molniya-M 23 Mariner 10 NASA Flyby Flyby on 5 February 1974; closest approach at 17:01 UTC; observed Venus and performed gravity assist to reach Mercury Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1A 24 Venera 9(4V-1 No.660) Lavochkin Orbiter/Lander Entered orbit on 20 October 1975; lander landed at 05:13 UTC on 22 October. First orbiter of Venus and first images from the surface of another planet. Proton-K/D 25 Venera 10(4V-1 No.661) Lavochkin Orbiter/Lander Entered orbit on 23 October 1975; lander landed at 05:17 UTC on 25 October Proton-K/D 26 Venera 11(4V-1 No.360) Lavochkin Flyby/Lander Flyby on 25 December; Lander landed at 03:24 UTC the same day. Multiple instrument failures on lander Proton-K/D-1 27 Venera 12(4V-1 No.361) Lavochkin Flyby/Lander Lander landed at 03:20 UTC on 21 December 1978. Both cameras on lander failed Proton-K/D-1 28 Pioneer Venus 1(PV Orbiter) NASA Orbiter Entered orbit on 4 December 1978, decayed on 22 October 1992 29 Pioneer Venus 2(PV Multiprobe) NASA Atmospheric Entered the atmosphere on 9 December 1978; consisted of five spacecraft, two of which continued transmitting after reaching the surface Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR 30 Venera 13(4V-1M No.760) Lavochkin Flyby/Lander Lander landed at 03:20 UTC on 1 March 1982. First recording of sounds from another planet. Proton-K/D-1 31 Venera 14(4V-1M No.761) Lavochkin Flyby/Lander Lander landed on 5 March 1982. Proton-K/D-1 32 Venera 15(4V-2 No.860) Lavochkin Orbiter Entered orbit 10 October 1983, operated until July 1984 Proton-K/D-1 33 Venera 16(4V-2 No.861) Lavochkin Orbiter Entered orbit 11 October 1983, operated until July 1984 Proton-K/D-1 34 Vega 1(5VK No.901) Lavochkin Flyby/Atmospheric/Lander Landed 11 June 1985. Atmospheric probe deployed during entry operated for two days. Main bus continued to explore comet 1P/Halley Proton-K/D-1 35 Vega 2(5VK No.902) Lavochkin Flyby/Atmospheric/Lander Landed 15 June 1985. Atmospheric probe deployed during entry operated for two days. Main bus continued to explore comet 1P/Halley Proton-K/D-1 36 Magellan NASA Orbiter Entered orbit 10 October 1990, deorbited 13 October 1994 STS-30 / IUS - Galileo NASA Gravity assist at Venus Flyby on 10 February 1990 en route to Jupiter; observed Venus during closest pass. STS-34 / IUS - Cassini NASA Gravity assist Flybys on 26 April 1998 and 24 June 1999 en route to Saturn; observed Venus during closest pass. Titan IV(401)B - MESSENGER NASA Gravity assist Flybys on 24 October 2006 and 5 June 2007 en route to Mercury; observed Venus during closest pass. Delta II 7925H 37 Venus Express ESA Orbiter Entered orbit 11 April 2006. Full communications lost on 28 November 2014ESA Science & Technology: Venus Express goes gently into the night Soyuz-FG/Fregat 38 Akatsuki JAXA Orbiter Flew past Venus on 6 December 2010 after failing to enter orbit. Insertion was successfully reattempted on 7 December 2015. Last contact April 2024 H-IIA 202 39 IKAROS JAXA Flyby Experimental solar sail released from the Akatsuki spacecraft. Flew past Venus on 8 December 2010 but did not make observations. H-IIA 202 40 Shin'en UNISEC Flyby Communications never established after launch. Flew past Venus in December 2010 H-IIA 202 - Parker Solar Probe NASA Gravity assist Flybys on 10 October 2018, 26 December 2019, 11 July 2020, 20 February 2021, 16 October 2021, 21 August 2023, and 6 November 2024 to lower perihelion for solar observation. Delta IV Heavy/Star 48BV - BepiColombo ESA Gravity assist Flybys on 15 October 2020 and 11 August 2021 en route to Mercury; observed Venus during closest pass. Ariane 5 ECA -Solar OrbiterESAGravity assist Flybys on 27 Dec 2020, 8 Aug 2021, 3 Sep 2022, 18 Feb 2025, 24 Dec 2026, 17 Mar 2028, 10 Jun 2029, and 2 Sep 2030 to adjust orbital inclination.Atlas V 411 - Juice ESA Gravity assist Flyby en route to Jupiter. Ariane 5 ECA+

Statistics Launches by decade

This is a list of 40 missions (including failed ones) to Venus. It includes Flybys (not gravity assists), Impact probes, orbiters, landers, rovers by decade.

Mission milestone by country Legend

† First to achieve

CountryFlybyOrbitAtmospheric entryImpact LanderRover Soviet Union † † † † † United States ESA Japan

By organization CountryAgencyor companySuccessfulPartial failureFailureOperationalGravity assistTotal USSREnergia - -11 - -11 Lavochkin1413 - -18NASA6 -11411 ESAESA1 - - 123JAXA1 - - - -2UNISEC - -1 - -1

Future missions

Under development

Name Operator Proposed launch date Type Status Reference Venus Orbiter Mission ISRO 29 March 2028 Orbiter/atmospheric probe under development MBR Explorer UAESANET Q1 2028 https://www.nextspaceflight.com/launches/?q=MBR&f=&tab=Flyby under development Venus Life Finder MIT/Rocket Lab NET 2020s https://www.nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/5661/ Atmospheric probe under development - waiting for rocket neutron VERITAS NASA 2031 Orbiter under development DAVINCI NASA 2031–2032 Atmospheric probe under developmentEnVision ESA2031–2032Orbiter under development

Proposed missions Name Operator Proposed launch year Type Status Reference Venera-D Roscosmos 2036 Orbiter and lander Proposed VOICE CNSA 2026 Orbiter Not selected AREE NASA 2020 Wind-powered surface rover Concept study CUVE NASA 2017 Orbiter proposedNASA studies CubeSat mission to solve Venusian mystery. Lori Keesey. Published by PhysOrg. August 15, 2017. EVE ESA 2005 Orbiter/Lander/Balloon Not selected HAVOC NASA 2015 Crewed aircraft Concept study HOVER NASA 2019 Orbiter Concept studyHyperspectral Observer for Venus Reconnaissance (HOVER). Larry W. Esposito, and the HOVER Team. EPSC Abstracts Vol. 13, EPSC-DPS2019-340-2, 2019. VAMP NASA 2012 Inflatable semi-buoyant aircraft Not selectedVAMP' Key Vehicle Parameters – Northrop Grumman VICI NASA 2027 Lander Not selectedVICI: Venus In situ Composition Investigations. (PDF) L. Glaze, J. Garvin, N. Johnson, G. Arney, D. Atkinson, S. Atreya, A. Beck, B. Bezard, J. Blacksberg, B. Campbell, S. Clegg, D. Crisp, D. Dyar, F. Forget, M. Gilmore, D. Grinspoon, Juliane Gross, S. Guzewich, N. Izenberg, J. Johnson, W. Kiefer, D. Lawrence, S. Lebonnois, R. Lorenz, P. Mahaffy, S. Maurice, M. McCanta, A. Parsons, A. Pavlov, S. Sharma, M. Trainer, C. Webster, R. Wiens, K. Zahnle, M. Zolotov. EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 11, EPSC2017-346, 2017. European Planetary Science Congress 2017. VISAGE NASA 2027 Lander Not selectedVenus In Situ Atmospheric and Geochemical Explorer (VISAGE): A Proposed New Frontiers Mission. (PDF) Esposito, L. W. Lunar and Planetary Science XLVIII (2017)The New Frontiers Venus In Situ Atmospheric and Geochemical Explorer (VISAGE) Mission Proposal. (PDF) L.W. Esposito, D.H. Atkinson, K.H. Baines, A. Allwood, F. Altieri, S. Atreya, M. Bullock, A. Colaprete, M. Darrach, J. Day, M. Dyar, B. Ehlmann, K. Farley, J. Filiberto, D. Grinspoon, J. Head, J. Helbert, S. Madzunkov, G. Piccioni, W. Possel, M. Ravine, A. Treiman, Y. Yung, K. Zahnle. EPSC Abstracts. Vol. 11, EPSC2017-275-1, 2017. European Planetary Science Congress 2017. VISE NASA 2003 Lander Not selected VMPM NASA 1994 Atmospheric probes Concept studyVenus Multiprobe Mission VOX NASA 2017 Orbiter Not selected Zephyr NASA 2016 Sail-driven surface rover Feasibility studyZephyr: A Landsailing Rover For Venus. (PDF) Geoffrey A. Landis, Steven R. Oleson, David Grantier, and the COMPASS team. NASA John Glenn Research Center. 65th International Astronautical Congress, Toronto, Canada. February 24, 2015. Report: IAC-14,A3,P,31x26111

See also Timeline of Solar System exploration List of missions to the Moon List of missions to Mars List of missions to minor planets List of missions to the outer planets List of missions to comets

References

External links