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Which spacecraft was the first to return data from the vicinity of Venus?

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Venus — Venus Venus photographed in ultraviolet light by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (Pioneer 12) spacecraft, February 26, 1979. Although Venus's cloud cover is nearly featureless in visible light, ultraviolet imaging reveals distinctive structure and pattern, including global-scale V-shaped bands that open toward the west (left). Added color in the image emulates Venus's yellow-white appearance to the eye.

The first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of another planet and return data was the U.S. Mariner 2, which successfully completed a flyby of Venus in 1962.2