The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing for its Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) and the spacecraft is set to launch on March 29, 2028. This mission aims to explore Venus, adding to our understanding of the planet. A recent Cabinet meeting approved an interplanetary mission to Venus. ISRO will use its new heavy-lift rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), to send the spacecraft, named Shukrayaan-1, on a 112-day journey to the planet. The orbiter is set to arrive at Venus on July 19, 2028, highlighting India’s advancements in space exploration.

The development of the spacecraft and launch vehicle will involve various industries, creating significant job opportunities and potential technological advancements for other sectors. Additionally, the mission will collaborate with academic institutions, offering training for students involved in design, development and testing. Recently during a press briefing S. Somanath, the ISRO Chairman and Secretary of the Department of Space (DoS), had confirmed that each of the approved forthcoming missions would include participation from the private space sector. This marks one of the most significant boosts for India’s emerging space start-ups from the government to date.

The rocket will place the spacecraft in an Elliptical Parking Orbit (EPO), which ranges from 170 km to 36,000 km above Earth. This orbit has a specific angle and position. From there, the spacecraft will begin its journey to Venus. “The VOM will use advanced tools to explore Venus, focusing on its atmosphere, surface and geological features. The mission aims to detect any volcanic eruptions or quakes. The spacecraft will have cutting-edge instruments, including synthetic aperture radar and infrared and ultraviolet cameras,” explained Space expert Girish Linganna.

ISRO will oversee the development and launch of the spacecraft with a total budget of ₹1,236 crore (approximately $150 million). Out of this, ₹824 crore is allocated for building the spacecraft.

The Shukrayaan-1 will be equipped with a range of scientific tools, such as the Venus S-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (VSAR), Venus Surface Emissivity and Atmospheric Mapper (VSEAM), Venus Thermal Camera (VTC), Venus Cloud Monitoring Camera (VCMC), Lightning Instrument for Venus (LIVE), Venus Atmospheric Spectro-Polarimeter (VASP) and Solar Occultation Photometry (SPAV).

“These instruments will assist scientists in studying Venus’s atmosphere, surface and plasma environment. The VOM is a worldwide collaboration involving such countries as Russia, Sweden, France and Germany. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) will be a participant in providing the Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA) to examine how the Sun’s charged particles interact with Venus’s atmosphere. On the other hand the private sector may be involved in materials procurement, supply chain management, rocket engineering, testing facilities, manufacturing units, assembly and integration, and launch operations,” added Linganna.

After travelling through space, Shukrayaan-1 will move into an orbit around Venus, ranging from 500 km to 60,000 km away. This process is called Venus Orbit Injection (VOI). Over six to eight months, a process, called aero-braking, will gradually adjust the orbit to a closer path around Venus, measuring 200 x 600 km. This new orbit will enable detailed studies of Venus’s surface and atmosphere for a planned mission lasting five years.

In an earlier analysis, it was mentioned that ISRO's VOM is expected to be one of the most challenging ones as the atmosphere of Venus is made mostly of poisonous sulphuric acid. Since Venus orbits the sun within Earth's orbit, the planet appears to have phases like the moon. When Venus is on the opposite side of the sun, it is in full phase, while it appears in a new phase when it is between the Earth and the sun. Despite the poisonous atmosphere, a chemical called phosphine was discovered in Venus's clouds recently. Incidentally, on Earth, phosphene is found to be produced by microbes. The study seemed to suggest that despite its extreme conditions, Venus might, after all, host life. Needless to say, the theory was disputed and alternate explanations were posited.

Linganna says landing on Venus' surface can be an extremely challenging affair as a lander (or rover) must fall through approximately 35km (1,00,000ft) of the thick, murky lower atmosphere before the final couple of kilometres where the ground finally becomes visible from above. “During descent, the temperature starts at a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius and shoots up to 450 degrees Celsius just before reaching the surface. (A standard kitchen oven runs at about 200 degrees Celsius.) Near the surface, the air is so thick that the lander will settle to the ground much like a stone settles in water—no retrorockets or sky cranes are required,” remarked Linganna.

(With Inputs From Agencies)