High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Venera 2 (Russian: -2) (manufacturer's designation: 3MV-4) was a probe in the Soviet Venera program for the exploration of Venus. Launch Date/Time: 1965 November 12 at 05:02:00 UTC. On-orbit Dry Mass: 963 kg. Venera 2 was launched from a Tyazheliy Sputnik (65-091B) towards the planet Venus and carried a TV system and scientific instruments. On February 27, 1966, the spacecraft passed Venus at a distance of 24,000 km and entered a heliocentric orbit. The spacecraft system had ceased to operate before the planet was reached and returned no data.