New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved ISRO’s mission to explore the geology and atmosphere of Venus, considered to be Earth’s twin in the Solar System. Venus is the closest planet to the Earth, and is believed to have formed under similar conditions as Earth, with the planetary atmospheres diverging in their evolution. The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally approved the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), which has been dubbed Shukrayaan, just like the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was dubbed Mangalyaan. The ambitious missions expands the scope of ISRO’s planetary science programme to a third celestial body in the Solar System, after the Moon and Mars.

Venus, Earth and Mars are all terrestrial or rocky planets, with very different atmospheric conditions. Venus has a thick atmosphere with high pressure, that is being heated because of a runaway greenhouse gas effect. The environmental conditions on Venus are toxic to life as we know it. Earth is a green world that provides an environment for organisms to thrive, with the atmosphere protecting the surface from harmful radiation. Mars has a tenuous atmosphere that is constantly being stripped away, and is a cold and dry place today. The Red Planet is however on the cusp of habitability, with conditions in the past conducive for life. Why these planets are so different is not well-understood, and ISRO’s Shukrayaan mission can provide valuable insights.

We’re Heading For Venus

ISRO is planning to probe the surface, subsurface and atmosphere of Venus through an orbiter. In the distant past, Venus too may have been habitable to life. The data captured by the mission will be made available to the scientific community. ISRO is aiming to launch the mission during a window that opens up in March 2028. The cabinet has approved ₹1,236 crore for the mission, which includes the spacecraft and the ground infrastructure necessary for operating the mission.

The mission is also expected to give a boost to the planetary science program of ISRO, which can support larger payloads in the future, especially after the development of the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), dubbed Soorya. ISRO will be collaborating closely with academic and private industry partners for the Shukrayaan mission.

Agencies