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The Soviet Union launched nearly 30 spacecraft at Venus and became the only nation ever to land on its surface and send back pictures — color photographs of a scorched volcanic plain under a yellow-green sky, shot in the few dozen minutes before the heat

The Soviet Union is the only nation to land on Venus and return surface photographs. Their probes captured color images of volcanic plains and recorded the first sounds from another planet. Some landers survived for over two hours in extreme heat and pressure.

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Updated details on the Venera 13 probe's survival time and the return of a 1972 spacecraft to Earth.

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  1. Soviet Union's Legacy of Venus Exploration

    The Soviet Union is the only nation to land on Venus and return surface photographs. Their probes captured color images of volcanic plains and recorded the first sounds from another planet. Some landers survived for over two hours in extreme heat and pressure.

    What's confirmed:

    • The Soviet Union is the only nation to land on the surface of Venus and send back pictures.
    • Soviet landers captured color photographs of a scorched volcanic plain under a yellow-green sky.
    • The Venera 13 probe landed on Venus in March 1982.
    • Venera 13 survived for 127 minutes in a 465-degree atmosphere.
    • A Soviet spacecraft built in 1972 to land on Venus returned to Earth on 10 May 2025.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • The Soviet Union launched nearly 30 spacecraft at Venus.
    • Venera 13 recorded the first sounds ever heard on another planet.
    • A 1978 instrument named Thunderstorm remains the best evidence regarding lightning on Venus.
    • NASA has a concept to float crewed airships 30 miles above the surface of Venus.
    • A Soviet spacecraft landed on Venus and measured its own cover instead of the surface.
    confidence 80%