Venera 3 was a Venera program space probe that was built and launched by the Soviet Union to explore the surface of Venus. It was launched on November 16, 1965 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The mission of this spacecraft was to land on the Venusian surface. The entry body contained a radio communication system, scientific instruments, electrical power sources, and medallions bearing the coat of arms of the U.S.S.R. The probe crash-landed on Venus on March 1, 1966 becoming the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface. However, its communications systems failed before it could return any information about the planet.

See also Timeline of planetary exploration