Venus has often been considered to be one of the most mysterious planets in our solar system. Before probes and orbiters were able to gather data about the planet, many people pictured a paradise hidden away beneath the dense clouds. They believed there was another earth-like environment there, and it was the destiny of humankind to populate that area. However, as the first sets of data began to come back, scientists quickly realized that Venus was much different than what they had expected. The surface was dark and ominous with a sky painted a deep orange. The clouds were suffocating, hiding away the Sun’s light, but trapping its heat. Its atmospheric pressures and temperature ensured that life could not even hope to survive on the Venusian surface. We know all this thanks to the multiple orbiters and landers that had studied the surface and atmosphere of Venus. Below, we’re going to take a look at some of these missions.

Magellan

Magellan started its long journey to Venus on May 4, 1989. In 1990, (when it arrived) the orbiter started to construct the first ever global map of the Venusian surface and gravity field. It was equipped with only one major instrument called the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Magellan gave scientists new data about the surface including the surprising revelation that the surface appeared relatively new, and could have been formed from lava flows. On October 1994, Magellan changed its orbit so it could plunge into the surface of the planet. On the way ,it gathered valuable information about the atmosphere. Magellan will forever be remembered for the valuable data and maps it returned back to Earth.

Venera 9

Venera 9 was part of a series of Soviet probes that were specially designed to explore Venus. Each craft in this series was made up of a lander and an orbiter. The lander would land on the surface of the planet and transmit data to the orbiter, which would rely it to Earth. Venera 9 was only able to survive 52 minutes on the surface, but in that time, it made history. The lander sent back the first pictures of the surface of Venus and they were the first pictures from another planet’s ground. After those 52 precious minutes, the spacecraft succumbed to the extreme heat and pressure of the planet. While Venera was not the first to land on the Venusian surface, it was the first to send back pictures.

Venus Express

Venus Express was an ESA orbiter that studied Venus for nearly a decade. During this time, it studied the ionosphere and atmosphere in detail. This data was important to understand the surface in even better detail, without having to send another lander. Venus Express confirmed the idea that the planet is geologically active, which explains why its surface appears much younger than previously thought. In mid 2014, the spacecraft entered a gradual decaying orbit which would eventually hurl it through the atmosphere to crash onto the planet. Until its final moments, Venus Express continued to send back valuable data until on November 21, 2014, all contact was lost with this spacecraft.

Resources:

NASA, PLANETARY.ORG, NASA