The conditions at these landing sites are extreme—temperatures hot enough to melt lead and pressure equivalent to being 3,000 feet underwater. [6, 7] Seeing Through the Clouds
The next decade marks a "Golden Age" for Venus exploration. New missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI aim to create the most detailed maps yet and even drop a probe to sniff the atmosphere. [6, 22] These efforts will help us understand why a planet so similar to Earth in size and composition turned into such a beautiful, yet deadly, inferno. [16, 24] 📍 Venus image
Missions like NASA's Magellan used radar to map the surface, revealing massive volcanoes, deep rift valleys, and mysterious "pancake" domes. [8, 25] [6, 22] These efforts will help us understand
While many spacecraft have orbited the planet, only a handful have ever survived the descent to its surface. The Soviet Union's Venera missions in the 1970s and 80s remains the only source of true surface photography. [17, 29] These images reveal a harsh, rocky landscape: The Soviet Union's Venera missions in the 1970s
It is the only planet that rotates clockwise on its axis. [31, 44]
In a groundbreaking 2021 flyby, the Parker Solar Probe used its WISPR camera to capture the nightside surface's thermal glow, showing that the ground is so hot it actually shines in visible light. [9, 23] Future Missions to the Inferno
A day on Venus is longer than its year. [31, 38]