Chronology of Venus Exploration

Mission Timeline

1961
Sputnik 7 - 4 February 1961 - Attempted Venus Impact
Venera 1 - 12 February 1961 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)
1962
Mariner 1 - 22 July 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
Sputnik 19 - 25 August 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby
Mariner 2 - 27 August 1962 - Venus Flyby
Sputnik 20 - 1 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby
Sputnik 21 - 12 September 1962 - Attempted Venus Flyby
1963
Cosmos 21 - 11 November 1963 - Attempted Venera Test Flight?
1964
Venera 1964A - 19 February 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
Venera 1964B - 1 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
Cosmos 27 - 27 March 1964 - Attempted Venus Flyby
Zond 1 - 2 April 1964 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)
1965
Venera 2 - 12 November 1965 - Venus Flyby (Contact Lost)
Venera 3 - 16 November 1965 - Venus Lander (Contact Lost)
Cosmos 96 - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Lander?
Venera 1965A - 23 November 1965 - Attempted Venus Flyby (Launch Failure)
1966
1967
Venera 4 - 12 June 1967 - Venus Probe
Mariner 5 - 14 June 1967 - Venus Flyby
Cosmos 167 - 17 June 1967 - Attempted Venus Probe
1968
1969
Venera 5 - 5 January 1969 - Venus Probe
Venera 6 - 10 January 1969 - Venus Probe
1970
Venera 7 - 17 August 1970 - Venus Lander
Cosmos 359 - 22 August 1970 - Attempted Venus Probe
1971
1972
Venera 8 - 27 March 1972 - Venus Probe
Cosmos 482 - 31 March 1972 - Attempted Venus Probe
1973
Mariner 10 - 4 November 1973 - Venus/Mercury Flybys
1974
1975
Venera 9 - 8 June 1975 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
Venera 10 - 14 June 1975 - Venus Orbiter and Lander
1976
1977
1978
Pioneer Venus 1 - 20 May 1978 - Venus Orbiter
Pioneer Venus 2 - 8 August 1978 - Venus Probes
Venera 11 - 9 September 1978 - Venus Flyby Bus and Lander
Venera 12 - 14 September 1978 - Venus Flyby Bus and Lander
1979
1980
1981
Venera 13 - 30 October 1981 - Venus Flyby Bus and Lander
Venera 14 - 4 November 1981 - Venus Flyby Bus and Lander
1982
1983
Venera 15 - 2 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter
Venera 16 - 7 June 1983 - Venus Orbiter
1984
Vega 1 - 15 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby
Vega 2 - 21 December 1984 - Venus Lander and Balloon/Comet Halley Flyby
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
Magellan - 4 May 1989 - Venus Orbiter
Galileo - 18 October 1989 - Jupiter Orbiter/Probe (Venus Flyby)
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Cassini - 15 October 1997 - Saturn Orbiter (Venus Flyby)
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
MESSENGER - 3 August 2004 - Mercury Orbiter (Two Venus Flybys)
2005
Venus Express - 09 November 2005 - ESA Venus Orbiter
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Akatsuki - 20 May 2010 - Attempted ISAS Venus Orbiter
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Parker Solar Probe - 12 August 2018 - NASA Solar Probe - Multiple Venus Flybys
BepiColombo - 19 October 2018 - ESA and JAXA Mercury Orbiters (2 Venus flybys)
2019
2020
Solar Orbiter - 10 February 2020 - ESA Solar Probe - Multiple Venus Flybys
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
DAVINCI - 2031 - NASA Venus Flyby and Atmospheric Probe
VERITAS - 2031 - NASA Venus Orbiter
EnVision - 2031 - ESA Venus Orbiter
2032

Venus Home Page

Chronology of Lunar and Planetary Exploration

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 11 March 2024, DRW