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Space & Astronomy

NASA is planning two new missions to Venus

By T.K. Randall
June 3, 2021 · Comment icon 3 comments

NASA is going back to Venus. Image Credit: NASA
For the first time in over 30 years, the space agency will be venturing back to the second planet from the Sun.
With surface temperatures exceeding 860 degrees and crushing atmospheric pressures that are more than 100 times those found on our own planet, the conditions on Venus are undeniably hellish.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, exploration of this unforgiving world hasn't been easy, with several early Soviet lander missions ending up failing within a short time of arriving there.

NASA has previously sent several spacecraft to Venus, including the 1978 Pioneer orbiter which deployed a set of smaller probes, of which one survived for around an hour on the surface.
Now the space agency is planning to send two more spacecraft to Venus - the first in over 30 years (with the last being the Megallan orbiter which arrived there in 1990).

The first, named Davinci+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging), will measure the planet's atmosphere.

The second, named Veritas (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy), will map the planet's surface to determine its geological history.

"It is astounding how little we know about Venus, but the combined results of these missions will tell us about the planet from the clouds in the sky through the volcanoes on its surface all the way down to its very core," said NASA's Tom Wagner.

If all goes to plan, the missions will launch sometime between 2028 and 2030.

Source: BBC News | Comments (3)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #1 Posted by Manwon Lender 3 years ago
NASA announced last week that for the first time in more than 30 years, it is sending not one, but two missions to Venus. What does the space agency hope to accomplish?    Yes. In 1962, Venus became the first planet to be explored by a spacecraft, when NASA's Mariner 2 flew by, sending back information about the planet's atmosphere and recording its temperature for the first time. The then-Soviet Union also took an interest in Venus, and beginning in the 1960s sent several probes to the planet.   Why go back? Venus is often referred to as "Earth's Twin" because the planets are similar... [More]
Comment icon #2 Posted by TheSpaceResident 3 years ago
DAVINCI+ is a mission that'll investigate the atmosphere of Venus to understand the principles of its formation, make measurements of certain elements in Venus atmosphere. We'll also get some high-resolution photos of planet's surface. The seond mission is VERITAS and it willl study the geological development of Venus and define the differences with the Earth's formation. VERITAS should also identify the infrared emissions from Venus that'll help it study rocks and volcanoes. These two projects are crucial for Venus exploration.
Comment icon #3 Posted by Montello 3 years ago
no life on venus 465 c


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