In news- The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit Venus in the 2030s.
About the mission-
- EnVision is an ESA led mission with contributions from NASA.
- The earliest launch opportunity for EnVision is 2031, followed by 2032 and 2033.
- Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket, the spacecraft will take about 15 months to reach Venus and will take 16 more months to achieve orbit circularisation.
- The spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse its surface composition.
- NASA has provided VenSAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), that will help to image and map the surface as well as Deep Space Network support.
- The radio science experiment is led by institutes in France and Germany.
- The new mission will follow another ESA-led mission to Venus called ‘Venus Express’ (2005-2014).
- At the core of the mission is the question of how Earth and Venus evolved so differently from each other considering that they are roughly of the same size and composition.
Venus Express (VEX)-
- It was the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA).
- It was launched in November 2005, arrived at Venus in April 2006 and began continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus.
- It was equipped with seven scientific instruments, with the main objective of long term observation of the Venusian atmosphere.
- It focussed on atmospheric research and pointed to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface.
- The observation over such long periods of time had never been done in previous missions to Venus, and was key to a better understanding of the atmospheric dynamics.
ESA concluded the mission in December 2014.Venus Express (VEX)-
- It was the first Venus exploration mission of the European Space Agency (ESA).
- It was launched in November 2005, arrived at Venus in April 2006 and began continuously sending back science data from its polar orbit around Venus.
- It was equipped with seven scientific instruments, with the main objective of long term observation of the Venusian atmosphere.
- It focussed on atmospheric research and pointed to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface.
- The observation over such long periods of time had never been done in previous missions to Venus, and was key to a better understanding of the atmospheric dynamics.
ESA concluded the mission in December 2014.
Source: Indian Express
