What missions have explored Venus and their findings?

Several missions have explored Venus, each revealing a bit more about its harsh environment. The Soviet Union led the way with the Venera missions (1960s–1980s), which were the first to land on another planet. 

Venera 7 made history in 1970 by transmitting data from the surface. Later Venera landers sent back images showing rocky plains and a reddish-orange sky. NASA’s Magellan mission (1990–1994) used radar to map 98% of Venus’s surface, revealing volcanoes, mountains, and evidence of past lava flows. 

The European Space Agency’s Venus Express (2006–2014) studied the planet’s atmosphere, finding that it’s still losing gases into space and showing strong wind patterns. Japan’s Akatsuki probe, launched in 2010, continues orbiting Venus today, studying weather systems and cloud dynamics. Each mission confirmed one thing: Venus is an active, dynamic world—blisteringly hot, cloud-covered, and endlessly fascinating.