ISRO targets to launch Venus mission in March 2028 for 112-day journey to planet | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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ISRO targets to launch Venus mission in March 2028 for 112-day journey to planet

Posted 07 Oct 2024

2 min read

Recently, Union Cabinet approved the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) as India's maiden mission to Venus.

About VOM

  • Target date for launch: March 2028; it’ll take 112-days to reach Venus.
  • Launch Vehicle: Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3).
  • Objectives of VOM: Examine dust in Venusian atmosphere and its airglow, mapping its surface topography, studying solar X-ray spectrum and investigating sub-surface characteristics
    • VOM will also demonstrate technologies: e.g., testing aerobraking and thermal management techniques in harsh Venusian environment.
  • Payloads: 19 payloads have been recommended to be onboard VOM, of which 16 are Indian payloads, 2 are Indian and international collaborative payloads, and 1 international payload.

Key Scientific payloads/ experiments recommended for VOM

  • Venus Thermal Camera: For understanding atmospheric dynamics and Venusian clouds.
  • Narrow band oxygen Airglow detection in Venusian Atmosphere (NAVA): To measure airglow emissions.
  • Venus Advanced Radar for Topside Ionosphere and Subsurface Sounding (VARTISS): To study structure of ionosphere; study active volcanic hotspots and detect buried features.
  • Venus Orbit Dust Experiment (VODEX): To study Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) at Venus.
  • Other Payloads: Venus Ionospheric and Solar Wind Particle AnalySer (VISWAS), Radio Anatomy of Venus Ionosphere (RAVI); and VIRAL (Venus InfraRed Atmospheric gases Linker) developed by Russia, etc.

Other Important Venusian Missions

  • Pioneer Venus (1978) by NASA and Vega (1985) by USSR: Expanded understanding of Venus's atmosphere.
  • Venus Express (2005) by European Space Agency and Akatsuki (2015) by Japan: Studied atmospheric dynamics, climate evolution, and surface features. 
  • Future Missions: NASA’S DAVINCI (2029) and VERITAS (2031); EnVision- ESA’s Venus Orbiter (2031)
  • Tags :
  • Venus Orbiter Mission
  • Venus Thermal Camera
  • Venus Orbit Dust Experiment (VODEX)
  • VARTISS
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