One of the most overlooked achievements by man was the landing on the surface of Venus in 1975 by the Venera 9 lander. The conditions on Venus are incredibly harsh, with a surface temperature of 485 degrees. It is still amazing that a spacecraft landed there and lasted for 53 minutes, in time to send back the most amazing picture that I can remember seeing.
It’s things like this that should inspire kids to venture forth in science. We still have a lot to learn!