First Spaceship on Venus, (aka in German: Der Schweigende Stern/ The Silent Star; in Polish: Milcząca Gwiazda, also in English: Planet of the Dead and Spaceship Venus Does Not Reply) is a 1960 East German/Polish color science fiction film directed by Kurt Maetzig that stars Günther Simon, Julius Ongewe, and Yoko Tani. The film was first released by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb in East Germany. It is based on the science fiction novel The Astronauts by Stanisław Lem.
In 1962 the much-shortened, 79 minute, dubbed release from Crown International Pictures substituted the title First Spaceship on Venus for the English-speaking market. The film was released theatrically in 1962 in the U.S. on a double bill with the 1958 Japanese film Varan the Unbelievable.
The film was later featured in episodes of both Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Cinema Insomnia.
