The next decade promises exciting developments in our exploration of Venus, Earth's 'evil twin'. Five upcoming missions will provide unprecedented insights into this enigmatic planet's atmosphere, surface, and potential for life. These missions, led by NASA, ESA, Rocket Lab, and the Indian Space Research Organisation, will address key questions about Venus' history, climate, and potential habitability. Here's a closer look at each mission and its unique contributions.
NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging)
This $500 million mission, set to launch in the early 2030s, combines an orbiter and a descent probe. The orbiter will study Venus' clouds and mountains during flybys, while the probe will descend to the planet's surface, cataloging its thick atmosphere and sulfuric acid-laden clouds. DAVINCI will also search for traces of ancient water on Venus, focusing on the Alpha Regio region, which may be one of the oldest surfaces on the planet. It will be the first mission to map the chemical composition of Venus' lower atmosphere, offering new insights into the planet's surface and subsurface processes.
NASA's VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy)
VERITAS, scheduled for launch no earlier than 2031, aims to understand the divergence of Venus and Earth. It will orbit the poles of Venus, initially in a highly elliptical orbit, and then use aerobraking to lower its orbit. This technique, similar to NASA's MAVEN mission, will allow VERITAS to study the planet's magnetic field, plate tectonics, and the disappearance of its oceans. The mission is expected to last 2.5 Earth years, providing a comprehensive view of Venus' geological and atmospheric evolution.
European Space Agency's Envision
Envision, set to launch in November 2031, will focus on the origins of habitability in the solar system. It will use a synthetic aperture radar and NASA's Deep Space Network to study Venus' subsurface, upper atmosphere, and history. The mission will last four Earth years, aiming to understand how Venus' climate may have been similar to Earth's before its surface became inhospitable. Envision will map the planet's surface and study trace gases, including volcanic emissions.
Rocket Lab's Venus Life Finder
This private mission, led by Rocket Lab and MIT, aims to search for the building blocks of life on Venus. The Venus Life Finder will use the Electron rocket and Photon spacecraft to orbit the planet 30 miles above the surface. A probe will descend into the atmosphere, collecting data at altitudes between 37 and 28 miles. This region is of interest due to the presence of phosphine and similar conditions to Earth. The mission's laser instrument will examine cloud molecules for organic compounds, which may glow or autofluoresce.
Indian Space Research Organisation's Venus Orbiter Mission
India's first mission to Venus, scheduled for launch in 2028, will study the planet's surface, atmosphere, and solar interactions. The Venus Orbiter Mission, or Shukrayaan, will also test aerobraking. Its 16 payloads will map the surface in high resolution, study dust and airglow, examine the subsurface, and analyze the X-ray spectrum of solar rays near the planet. This mission will provide valuable insights into Venus' unique atmosphere and geological history.
