Things are finally looking up for NASA's first missions to Venus in a generation
Summary
NASA plans to launch two missions to Venus in the early 2030s to study the planet in detail. One mission, DAVINCI, will send a probe to descend through Venus’s atmosphere to take images, while another, VERITAS, will map the surface from orbit using radar.Key Facts
- DAVINCI is scheduled to launch in December 2030, one year earlier than planned.
- DAVINCI will send a probe with a parachute to study Venus’s atmosphere and surface.
- VERITAS will launch in November 2032 to map Venus with radar from orbit.
- The European Space Agency will launch the Envision orbiter to Venus in 2032.
- Rocket Lab plans to launch a private probe to Venus in late 2027 to search for organic material in clouds.
- NASA faced budget cuts that delayed and threatened missions to Venus and ended a partnership with Europe on Envision components.
- Venus is close to Earth in size but has a very hot, toxic atmosphere mostly made of carbon dioxide.
- The last NASA mission to Venus was Magellan (1989-1994), which mapped the surface with radar but at low detail.
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