<Tr> <Td> Sun </Td> <Td> Helios 2 </Td> <Td> Highest velocity of a spacecraft relative to the sun, 252,792 km / h . Closest ever approach to the sun at a record distance of 0.29 AU (43 million km), slightly inside the orbit of Mercury . Record still unbeaten as of November 2009 but to be beaten by the future Solar Orbiter probe (0.23 AU / 33 million km). </Td> <Td> West Germany USA </Td> <Td> 17 April 1976 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mars </Td> <Td> Viking 1 </Td> <Td> First surface - level imaging of Mars . </Td> <Td> USA </Td> <Td> 20 July 1976 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Saturn </Td> <Td> Pioneer 11 </Td> <Td> First flyby, dist. of 21,000 km . </Td> <Td> USA </Td> <Td> 1 September 1979 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Venus </Td> <Td> Venera 13 </Td> <Td> First sound record on another planet . </Td> <Td> USSR </Td> <Td> 1 March 1982 </Td> </Tr>

Who spent the most time on the moon