Context: P. Sreekumar, the Satish Dhawan Professor at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and advisor to its space science programme, said that the organisation is yet to receive approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that the mission could as a result be postponed to 2031.
About the News
- ISRO’s Venus mission, called Shukrayaan I, was expected to be launched in December 2024. The idea was born in 2012; five years later, ISRO commenced preliminary studies after the Department of Space received a 23% hike in the 2017-2018 budget. The organisation sought payload proposals from research institutes in April 2017.
- Optimal launch windows from Earth to Venus occur once around every 19 months. This is why ISRO has ‘backup’ launch dates in 2026 and 2028 should it miss the 2024 opportunity. But even more optimal windows, which further reduce the amount of fuel required at liftoff, come around every eight years.
What is Shukrayaan –1 / Venus Mission?
- To study the atmosphere, aeronomy and science of the surface of the hottest terrestrial planet in the Solar System, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to send a spacecraft to orbit venus for feasibility and aeronomy purposes.
- The spacecraft is called Shukrayaan. This terminology comes from “Shukra”, a Sanskrit word representing the planet Venus in Indian Astronomy and Hindu Astrology.
- Shukrayaan I will be an orbiter mission. Its scientific payloads currently include a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and a ground-penetrating radar.
- The mission is expected to study Venus’s geological and volcanic activity, emissions on the ground, wind speed, cloud cover, and other planetary characteristics from an elliptical orbit.
- The satellite will be launched from GSLV Mark-II, a heavy satellite launch vehicle used frequently by ISRO in its Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan Missions.
Formidable challenges in the mission includes
- Venus has crushing air pressure at its surface, which is 90 times more than Earth’s, and its atmosphere is highly toxic and filled with Sulphuric Acid that cause a powerful greenhouse effect.
- Its heat and temperature surpass that of Mercury, the first and nearest planet to the Sun.
- The 475 Degrees Celsius temperature is more than enough to melt lead.
- Thirdly, there is an optimum requirement for High-Resolution Equipment to penetrate the swirling gaseous clouds in the atmosphere.
Venus Missions
- As of 2020, the Soviet Union, United States, European Space Agency and Japan have conducted missions to Venus.
- Upcoming missions include – DAVINCI and VERITAS by NASA, Venera – D by Russia and EnVision by ESA