On June 5th the Messenger spacecraft used Venus to get a boost on it’s way to Mercury and took the opportunity to take out some Venusians on the way.
Picture this: A spaceship swoops in from the void, plunging toward a cloudy planet about the size of Earth. A laser beam lances out from the ship; it probes the planet’s clouds, striving to reach the hidden surface below. Meanwhile, back on the craft’s home world, scientists perch on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens.
Probes the clouds. Right.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/05jun_venusflyby.htm
