Get ready for an exciting journey to our cosmic neighbor, Venus, as we explore five groundbreaking missions that could unlock the secrets of Earth's 'evil twin' in the coming decade!
Venus, a planet shrouded in mystery, has recently lost its last active spacecraft, but fear not, as an array of ambitious missions are poised to take its place.
Here's a sneak peek at the proposed missions:
NASA's DAVINCI: This $500 million mission aims to combine an orbiter and a descent probe, offering unprecedented insights into Venus' hellish atmosphere. But here's the controversial part: it might not even happen, as it's on the chopping block in the Trump administration's 2026 NASA budget.
NASA's VERITAS: With a price tag of half a billion dollars, VERITAS aims to unravel the mysteries of Venus' divergent history from Earth. However, like DAVINCI, it faces cancellation if Trump's budget proposal comes to fruition.
European Space Agency's Envision: Slated for a 2031 launch, Envision will focus on the origins of habitability in our solar system. The mission's fate hangs in the balance due to proposed budget cuts for NASA's contribution, confirmed by ESA officials.
Rocket Lab's Venus Life Finder: This private mission, in partnership with MIT, seeks to explore the building blocks of life in Venus' cloud layers. A small spacecraft will orbit Venus, aiming to detect organic compounds. The mission's laser science instrument will play a crucial role in analyzing cloud molecules.
Indian Space Research Organisation's Venus Orbiter Mission (Shukrayaan): India plans to send its first mission to Venus, following successful lunar and Martian missions. The mission will study Venus' surface, atmosphere, and solar interactions, with a focus on its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and active ionosphere.
These missions promise to revolutionize our understanding of Venus, but they also raise intriguing questions. For instance, will these missions uncover evidence of ancient water cycles on Venus? And what about the potential for life in Venus' cloud layers?
As we eagerly await these missions, let's discuss: Which mission do you think will have the most significant impact on our understanding of Venus? And what do you hope these missions will uncover about our enigmatic 'evil twin'?
