Following the successful missions Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1, ISRO is looking to explore Venus, often referred to as Earth’s twin. ISRO Chairman S Somanath revealed that the Venus mission has been configured, and some payloads are in development. ISRO plans to submit a mission proposal to the Indian government for approval, with hopes of launching it in December next year.
Somanath emphasized the importance of studying Venus, as it could offer insights into Earth’s history when it was uninhabitable. Venus, a planet with a dense atmosphere, poses unique challenges for exploration. The proposed mission is likely to be named ‘Shukrayaan-1,’ combining ‘Shukra,’ which means Venus in Sanskrit, and ‘Yaana,’ meaning craft or vehicle.
The primary objectives of the mission include studying Venus’s surface and atmosphere, analyzing its geological composition, and exploring the relationship between solar radiation and the planet’s surface particles. Scientists have theorized the possibility of microbial life in Venus’s cooler cloud layers, where the pressure is Earth-like, and the detection of phosphine could hint at such life. However, further research is needed to confirm these speculations.
Venus’s extreme conditions, including a thick, toxic atmosphere and scorching surface temperatures, make it a challenging yet intriguing subject of study.
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