1961.2.4 SPUTNIK 7, the first Venus probe launched by USSR
Soviet's first attempt to Venus was the launch of SPUTNIK7. SL-6/A-2-e successfully put SPUTNIK 7 with the weight of 6843.00 kg to the earth's orbit including the probe was successfully launched into Earth orbit with a SL-6/A-2-e launcher. The launch payload consisted of an Earth orbiting launch platform (Tyazheliy Sputnik IV) and the Venera probe. However, the USSR officials do not announce other mission of SPUTNIK 7. SPUTNIK 7 was designed to orbit the earth once by the launching of the fourth stage on Venus but due to the miscalculation of time, the mission failed.

1961.2.12 VENERA 1, the first USSR probe flying by Venus

VENERA 1 is the USSR's first probe flying by Venus consisted of a cylindrical body topped by a dome, totaling 2 meters in height. Two solar panels extended radically from the cylinder. Its total weight was 643.50 kg. 7 days after launch, at a distance of about two million km from Earth, contact with the spacecraft was lost On May 19 and 20, 1961, Venera 1 passed within 100,000 km of Venus and entered a heliocentric orbit.