Some might be shocked to learn of the Soviet space program’s several missions to the planet’s surface in ... Venera probes on Venus, capturing and transmitting images back to Earth.

Maat Mons is displayed in this three-dimensional perspective view of the surface of Venus. Magellan. ... [+] (Photo by: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Researchers have found ...

Several spacecraft have successfully landed on the surface of Venus, but only a handful survived more than a few minutes due to the planet's extreme conditions. The Soviet Union's Venera ...