Mariner 2 was the first American spacecraft to make it to Venus, in 1962. It also observed the surface was smoother than Earth’s, and that Venus had very little or perhaps no magnetic field. It was also the last of the American visitors, although a number of NASA spacecraft have used Venus as a slingshot as they set course for other destinations. The probe missed its meeting with Venus when its engine failed to fire as it headed into orbit. By 2015, the mission’s managers had managed to steer it on a course to orbit and study the planet.

Source: New York Times September 14, 2020 19:41 UTC