What’s in the news?

• The Union Cabinet approved India’s first mission to Venus that ISRO aims to launch in 2028. 
• This is the country’s second interplanetary mission after the Mars Orbiter Mission launched in 2013.

About

• The Venus Orbiter Mission (Shukrayaan-1) is envisaged to orbit a scientific spacecraft in the orbit of planet Venus for better understanding of the Venusian surface and subsurface, its atmosphere, its ionosphere,  and its interaction with the Sun.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is responsible for developing and launching the spacecraft.
• The mission will carry scientific instruments from India and abroad. The orbiter is expected to carry instruments like synthetic aperture radar, infrared and ultraviolet cameras, and sensors that will study Venus’s ionosphere.
• The mission will carry scientific payloads weighing around 100 kg. 
• The mission will see India perform aero-braking for the first time.

Why is it important to study Venus?

• Venus is often called Earth’s twin because it is similar in mass, density, and size. Therefore, studying Venus may offer scientists clues about the evolution of Earth. 

Other countries trying to study Venus

• There have been several missions to Venus in the past by the United States, the erstwhile USSR, Japan, and a collaborative mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) with Japan.
• Several space agencies have announced Venus missions:
  • NASA’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions (planned for 2028-2030)
  • ESA’s EnVision mission (planned for early 2030s)
  • Russia’s Venera-D mission (under development)

Sources

• https://science.nasa.gov/venus/venus-facts/
• https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2055982
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/aerobraking
• https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/india-venus-mission-9584146/