Once the first destination for robotic exploration, Venus, often dubbed "Earth's evil twin," is poised for a dramatic return to the spotlight. Despite its similar size and proximity to Earth, Venus is a hellish world with a crushing atmosphere, sulfuric acid clouds, and a surface hot enough to melt lead. Understanding how two planets that started so similarly could evolve so differently is one of the most compelling questions in planetary science.
A flurry of new missions from multiple space agencies is now targeting the planet, signaling the most comprehensive study of Venus ever undertaken. The following five major missions—two from NASA, one from ESA, one from Russia, and one from India—are slated to launch between the late 2020s and early 2030s, promising to reshape our understanding of Venus and the evolution of terrestrial worlds.
1. DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) - NASA
Launch Window: Late 2020s (expected around 2029)
The DAVINCI+ mission is NASA's first probe-based return to Venus in over four decades. Its primary goal is to address fundamental questions about the planet's atmospheric origin, evolution, and potential habitability.
Objectives:
Determine the composition of the atmosphere to understand how it formed and evolved, including whether the planet once harbored a liquid water ocean.
Measure noble gases and trace gases precisely to understand the history of water on Venus.
Capture the first high-resolution images of Venus’s unique geological features called tesserae . These complex, mountainous features are thought to be analogous to Earth's continents and may hold clues about Venus’s history of plate tectonics.
Methodology: The mission consists of a carrier spacecraft and a meter-diameter atmospheric descent sphere. The sphere will plunge through the dense, super-rotating atmosphere for about an hour, taking in-situ measurements on its way down before succumbing to the heat and pressure on the surface.
2. VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) - NASA
Launch Window: Late 2020s (expected around 2028–2030)
Complementing DAVINCI+, the VERITAS mission will be a sophisticated orbiter focused on mapping the planet's solid surface and interior structure.
Objectives:
Create global, high-resolution topographical maps to determine the planet's geologic history.
Investigate the nature of Venus's mantle and core to understand the role of interior processes in shaping the planet's surface.
Determine if active volcanism and plate tectonic processes are still occurring on Venus.
Methodology: The orbiter will use a powerful synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to penetrate the thick cloud layer and create 3D reconstructions of the surface topography. It will also use an infrared spectrometer to analyze the rock types on the surface and search for thermal signatures of active volcanism, which could indicate water vapor being vented into the atmosphere .
3. EnVision - ESA (with NASA contribution)
Launch Window: Early 2030s (earliest opportunity 2031)
EnVision is the European Space Agency's (ESA) next-generation Venus orbiter, selected to follow up on the successful Venus Express mission (2005–2014). It is designed to provide a holistic view of the planet.
Objectives:
Determine the nature and current state of geological activity.
Study the connections between Venus's interior, surface, and atmosphere.
Determine how and why Earth and Venus evolved so differently.
Methodology: The orbiter will carry a suite of European instruments, including a subsurface radar sounder to peer into the planet's geology, and spectrometers to study the composition of the atmosphere and surface.
15 Notably, NASA will contribute the VenSAR (Venus Synthetic Aperture Radar) instrument, providing crucial mapping capabilities that are complementary to VERITAS. The goal is for EnVision, VERITAS, and DAVINCI+ to work synergistically for the most comprehensive data set yet.
4. Shukrayaan-1 - ISRO (India)
Launch Window: Mid-2020s (Targeting 2024 or 2026)
India's space agency, ISRO, is developing its first dedicated Venus mission, demonstrating the broadening global effort to explore our neighboring planet. Shukra is the Hindi name for Venus.
Objectives:
Investigate the surface and subsurface stratigraphy, or layering, of the Venusian soil.
Study the structure, composition, and dynamics of the Venusian atmosphere.
Methodology: Shukrayaan-1 is planned as an orbiter mission, though the final payload selection and precise operational details are still evolving. The mission is expected to carry a high-resolution surface imaging radar and a host of instruments to study the atmospheric dynamics. There has also been discussion of including an atmospheric balloon probe, potentially co-developed with international partners.
5. Venera-D - Roscosmos (Russia)
Launch Window: Late 2020s or Early 2030s (Targeting 2029)
Venera-D represents a planned return to Venus by Russia, building on the legacy of the Soviet Union's historic Venera program, which successfully landed multiple probes on the Venusian surface in the 1970s and 80s. The 'D' stands for Dolgozhivushchaya, or "long-lived."
Objectives:
Conduct long-term, in-situ study of the Venusian atmosphere and surface.
Study the planet's atmospheric dynamics, including the "super-rotation" phenomenon.
Methodology: The current mission concept includes a highly capable orbiter and a robust lander, designed to withstand the brutal Venusian environment for a significantly longer period than its Soviet predecessors. The mission may also deploy an atmospheric platform, such as a balloon or aerial vehicle, to make measurements within the clouds.
Together, these five missions—DAVINCI+, VERITAS, EnVision, Shukrayaan-1, and Venera-D—form an unprecedented armada. They will utilize atmospheric probes, orbiters, radars, and high-resolution cameras to attack the mysteries of Venus from every angle, searching for signs of past water, understanding the planet's catastrophic climate change, and ultimately, revealing how and why Earth's "evil twin" became the inferno it is today.