Two identical space probes launched by the former Soviet Union in 1984 December, each consisting of a Venus lander and a comet Halley fly-by probe. The name ‘Vega’ was a contraction of the Russian words Venera (‘Venus’) and Gallei (‘Halley’). In 1985 June the spacecraft released balloons into the atmosphere of Venus and landers on to the planet’s surface before flying on to comet Halley, which they reached in 1986 March. They passed 8900 km and 8000 km respectively from Halley’s nucleus, photographing it and analysing the comet’s dust and gas.