ISRO is now preparing a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study after sending missions to the Moon and Mars, what lies beneath the surface of the hottest planet in the Solar System and unravel the mysteries beneath the sulfuric acid cloud that surrounds it.
Addressing a day-long meeting on Venusian science, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman S Somnath said the Venus mission has been conceived, a project report prepared and “funding identified”.
The space agency is eyeing the December 2024 window for its launch with orbital maneuvers planned for next year when Earth and Venus will be so aligned that the spacecraft can be placed in orbit around the neighboring planet using minimal amounts of propellant.
The next similar window will be available in 2031.
