On this episode of Dave Does History, we travel back to May 16, 1969, when the Soviet Union dropped a robot into the blazing heart of Venus.

Venera 5 was no ordinary probe—it was built like a tank, wired like a scientist, and plunged into an atmosphere so fierce it would crush a submarine. For 53 minutes, it battled heat, pressure, and gravity, sending back data that shattered old assumptions about our sister planet.

This is the story of Soviet engineering, scientific grit, and a one-way trip into the unknown skies of Venus.

Available now, wherever you get your podcasts.