Goals: The ambitious twin-spacecraft Vega project aimed to deliver advanced lander modules on Venus, study the planet's atmosphere with balloons and then fly on for a close encounter with comet Halley.

Accomplishments: Both Vega 1 and its twin Vega 2 were tremendously successful. After successfully delivering its payload at Venus, Vega 1 flew on to a close encounter with comet Halley, transmitting hundreds of image as it through through the comet's gas cloud, or coma. Vega 1 collected valuable data on Halley's nucleus, dust production rate, chemical composition and rotational rate. The encounter provided key groundwork for the Giotto mission, which arrived at Halley a few weeks later.