Minerva

From Turtledove

Minerva is the fourth planet in the solar system. Temperatures on Minerva exceed the freezing point of water, but not by much and only in summer in equatorial regions. The planet is home to a sentient species of animal known as Minervans, as was determined by the American space probe Viking. In 1984, both the United States and the Soviet Union sent manned space missions to visit the planet and make contact with the natives.