The PRESS Pad

More than four decades after the Soviet Venera probes first braved Venus, Russia is preparing to return. The Venera-D mission, set to launch no later than 2036, aims to unlock the secrets of Earth’s fiery twin with a lander, orbiter, and possibly a balloon. Scientists hope the mission will reveal how Venus transformed from a potential ocean world into a planet of extremes—and what lessons it holds for Earth.