India sets sights on Venus with new Orbiter Mission

New Delhi, Sep 18: The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the ambitious Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), marking India's next major step in planetary exploration after successful missions to the Moon and Mars.

This mission will see India join the global community in the study of Venus, often referred to as Earth’s "sister planet" due to its similar size and proximity, though its environment has evolved dramatically differently.

Venus, the closest planet to Earth, offers scientists a unique opportunity to understand planetary evolution. Believed to have formed under conditions similar to Earth’s, Venus has transformed into a planet with extreme temperatures, a dense atmosphere, and volcanic landscapes. The Venus Orbiter Mission, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aims to study the planet's surface, subsurface, atmospheric processes, and the influence of the Sun on its atmosphere.

The mission is expected to provide critical data on the factors that led to Venus’s transformation from what might have been a habitable planet to the hostile environment it is today. These insights could help scientists better understand Earth's own past and future, as well as the dynamics of planetary environments.

The Venus Orbiter Mission is scheduled for launch in March 2028, taking advantage of a favourable planetary alignment. ISRO will oversee the development of the spacecraft, which will carry specialised instruments designed to gather data on Venus’s atmosphere and surface. The mission will be managed using ISRO’s established processes for space projects, ensuring rigorous monitoring and testing.

The total budget for the mission is `1,236 crore, with `824 crore allocated for spacecraft development, including the payloads and technological elements required to study Venus. The mission also involves global ground station support for navigation and communications during the spacecraft’s journey and while in orbit.

In addition to advancing planetary science, the Venus Orbiter Mission will serve as a platform for ISRO to develop technologies needed for future deep space missions. The mission will focus on optimising orbit insertion techniques and carrying larger scientific payloads.

ISRO plans to involve universities and train students in areas like spacecraft design, development, testing, and data analysis. This collaboration will provide valuable hands-on experience and foster a new generation of space scientists and engineers.

With the approval of the Venus Orbiter Mission, India is poised to join the ranks of nations conducting in-depth studies of Venus. The mission's scientific outcomes are expected to answer several outstanding questions about the planet’s evolution and its atmospheric processes. The data generated from the mission will be shared with the global scientific community, contributing to our understanding of planetary science.