This is the first book bringing together the Soviet Union and Russia's exploration of the planets. The book assesses the scientific haul of data from the Venus and Mars missions and looks at the engineering approaches. The USSR developed several generations of planetary probes: from MV and Zond to the Phobos type. The engineering techniques used and the science packages are examined, as well as the nature of the difficulties encountered which ruined several missions. The programme’s scientific and engineering legacy is also addressed, as well as its role within the Soviet space programme as a whole. The book is illustrated with the photographs taken by Soviet Venus and Mars probes, pictures of the spacecraft, diagrams of the flight paths, and landing techniques and maps of the landing sites.