{"id":42649,"date":"2024-09-25T01:03:37","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T19:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=42649"},"modified":"2025-10-11T12:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T07:17:30","slug":"indias-first-venus-mission-set-for-2028-shukrayaan-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-first-venus-mission-set-for-2028-shukrayaan-1\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s First Venus Mission Set for 2028 \u2013 Shukrayaan-1 Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM)?<\/li>\n<li>Why is India Exploring Venus?<\/li>\n<li>Venus missions launched by other countries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Recently, the Union Cabinet had approved India&#8217;s first mission to Venus, which <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/isro\/\" target=\"_blank\">ISRO<\/a> plans to launch in March 2028. This will be India&#8217;s second interplanetary mission, following the 2013 Mars Orbiter Mission.<\/p>\n<p>The Venus mission aims to study the planet&#8217;s surface, sub-surface, atmosphere, and ionosphere from orbit, and will also investigate Venus&#8217;s interaction with the Sun. The mission will carry scientific instruments from India and other countries for this exploration.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India&#8217;s first planned mission to Venus, <i><strong>&#8220;<\/strong><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/shukrayaan-1\/\" target=\"_blank\"><i><strong>Shukrayaan-1<\/strong><\/i><\/a><i><strong>,&#8221;<\/strong><\/i> will study the planet&#8217;s atmosphere, surface, and geological features using advanced scientific instruments.<\/li>\n<li>The mission will place an orbiter around Venus to gather data on its climate, atmospheric composition, and potential volcanic or seismic activity.<\/li>\n<li>Instruments like synthetic aperture radar, infrared and ultraviolet cameras, and sensors will examine Venus&#8217;s ionosphere and the thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid.<\/li>\n<li>The mission aims to explore signs of active volcanoes and provide insights into the planet&#8217;s unique environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Objectives<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Investigate surface processes and subsurface stratigraphy<\/li>\n<li>Study the structure, composition, and dynamics of Venus&#8217;s atmosphere<\/li>\n<li>Explore solar wind interactions with the Venusian ionosphere<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key highlights of the mission<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Timeline<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India&#8217;s Venus mission, originally planned for 2023, is now scheduled for launch in March 2028.<\/li>\n<li>Earth and Venus come closest every 19 months, making this timeline crucial.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Payloads<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The mission will carry around 100 kg of scientific payloads and follow a similar approach to India&#8217;s previous space missions.<\/li>\n<li>The payloads will conduct experiments to study the flow of interplanetary dust particles, and an experiment to study the high-energy particles entering the Venusian atmosphere leading to its ionisation.<\/li>\n<li>Another payload will study the composition, structure, variability, and thermal state of Venus\u2019s atmosphere.<\/li>\n<li>The satellite will gain speed in Earth&#8217;s orbit, sling-shot towards Venus, and reach its orbit in about 140 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s first attempt at aero-braking<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This mission will also mark India&#8217;s first attempt at aero-braking, a technique to slow the spacecraft using atmospheric drag.<\/li>\n<li>India&#8217;s Venus mission will initially place the satellite in a highly elliptical orbit of 500 km x 60,000 km around Venus to save fuel.<\/li>\n<li>However, this orbit is too high for scientific experiments, so the satellite will be lowered to a more suitable orbit of either 300 x 300 km or 200 x 600 km using aero-braking.<\/li>\n<li>During this process, the satellite will repeatedly skim the outer layer of Venus&#8217;s atmosphere at around 140 km, creating drag to gradually reduce its orbit height.<\/li>\n<li>This process, which takes about six months, requires precise control\u2014too deep a plunge risks burning up the satellite, while too shallow prolongs orbit adjustment.<\/li>\n<li>Once the desired orbit is achieved, the satellite will exit Venus&#8217;s atmosphere to avoid using excess fuel to maintain its orbit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why is India Exploring Venus?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unique opportunity to understand Earth\u2019s evolution<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Venus is often called Earth&#8217;s twin due to its similar mass, density, and size, making it an important subject for studying Earth&#8217;s evolution.<\/li>\n<li>Scientists believe Venus once had water but is now dry and dusty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clues about climate change, atmospheric dynamics<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The surface temperature of is around 462\u00b0C, hotter than Mercury, due to a runaway greenhouse effect.<\/li>\n<li>Water on Venus likely evaporated, creating more heat and worsening the effect.<\/li>\n<li>Venus, once believed to have oceans, has now become a sweltering greenhouse world with surface temperatures reaching 470\u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li>By comparing Venus\u2019s climate with Earth\u2019s, scientists hope to uncover clues about climate change, atmospheric dynamics, and planetary evolution.<\/li>\n<li>Studying Venus can provide insights into Earth&#8217;s potential future and the factors that make a planet habitable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology development capabilities and scientific prowess<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Venus is notoriously difficult to study due to its extreme temperatures and dense atmosphere.<\/li>\n<li>On Earth, the atmospheric pressure is 1 bar, but on Venus, it&#8217;s a staggering 100 bar.<\/li>\n<li>Its atmosphere is 96.5% carbon dioxide, with sulfuric acid clouds, and it rotates very slowly, with one Venusian day lasting 243 Earth days.<\/li>\n<li>Its surface temperature is around 462\u00b0C, hotter than Mercury.<\/li>\n<li>No lander has survived the extreme heat for more than a few hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Successful exploration would place India among an elite group of countries with advanced planetary science programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Venus missions launched by other countries<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Various missions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<li>Recently, several space agencies have announced Venus missions:\n<ul>\n<li>NASA&#8217;s <strong>DaVinci<\/strong> in 2029 and <strong>Veritas<\/strong> in 2031<\/li>\n<li>ESA&#8217;s <strong>EnVision mission<\/strong> (planned for early 2030s)<\/li>\n<li>Russia&#8217;s <strong>Venera-D mission<\/strong> (under development)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why the Renewed Race to Venus?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>There is renewed global interest in Venus due to its importance in understanding planetary evolution, climate change, and the potential for life in extreme conditions.<\/li>\n<li>NASA, the ESA, and Russia have announced Venus missions, especially after the <strong>2020 discovery of phosphine gas<\/strong>, a potential biomarker, in Venus&#8217;s atmosphere, sparking speculation about microbial life.<\/li>\n<li>Venus&#8217;s proximity and its value as a comparative study to Earth make it a key target for space exploration.<\/li>\n<li>Beyond science, the race to Venus fosters international collaboration and highlights space capabilities, with India\u2019s planned mission advancing its global space ambitions alongside the U.S., Russia, and China.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What are the objectives of India\u2019s Venus mission in 2028?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>India\u2019s Venus mission, Shukrayaan-1, aims to study the planet&#8217;s surface, atmosphere, and geological features, including the ionosphere and potential volcanic activity. It will help understand Venus&#8217;s climate and its evolution, shedding light on Earth&#8217;s possible future.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. Why is the 2028 Venus mission significant for India?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This mission marks India&#8217;s first venture into Venus exploration, positioning ISRO among the elite space agencies studying the planet. It also showcases India\u2019s growing technological capabilities and planetary science expertise on the global stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/india-venus-mission-9584146\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">India to launch its first mission to Venus in 2028: Everything you need to know<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=153184&amp;ModuleId=3#:~:text=The%20mission%20is%20expected%20for,crore%20allocated%20to%20spacecraft%20development.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PIB<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/science\/story\/venus-orbiter-mission-shukrayaan-1-isro-space-earth-mysterious-twin-2603285-2024-09-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">India Today<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstpost.com\/explainers\/isro-venus-mission-india-study-planet-earth-space-13816975.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">First Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover India\u2019s first mission to Venus, set for 2028, with Shukrayaan-1. Learn about its objectives, scientific payloads, and India&#8217;s role in space exploration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":42650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-42649","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}