Approval of Venus Mission Shukrayaan UPSC: The Indian government has approved ISRO’s Venus Orbiting Satellite mission, named “Shukrayaan.” Mission Shukrayan, or Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), by the Department of Space. It will explore the atmosphere and surface of Venus and its interaction with the sun.
Approval of Venus Mission Shukrayaan UPSC
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission Name | Shukrayaan-1 |
| Launch Date | Scheduled for 2028 |
| Objective | To explore Venus’s surface, atmosphere, and geological features.
|
| Launch Vehicle | GSLV Mk II |
| Key Instruments | Synthetic Aperture Radar, Infrared and Ultraviolet Imaging Devices |
| Focus Areas | Weather patterns, geological activity, atmospheric composition |
| Significance | The first Indian mission to Venus aims to provide a global dataset for future science missions |
| Challenges | Extreme temperatures, dense cloud cover of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid |
| Potential Discoveries | Signs of volcanic formations, possible microbial life in upper atmospheric layers |
| Scientific Payload: |
|
Facts About Venus
Here are the key facts of Venus:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Planetary Position | 2nd planet from the Sun |
| Diameter | About 12,104 km (7,521 miles) |
| Day Length | 243 Earth days (longest day of any planet in the Solar System) |
| Year Length | 225 Earth days |
| Surface Temperature | Average temperature of around 467°C (872°F) |
| Atmosphere | Thick clouds of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid |
| Atmospheric Pressure | 92 times that of Earth’s |
| Surface Features | Volcanic plains, mountains, and craters |
| Magnetic Field | Weak compared to Earth |
| Rotation Direction | Retrograde (rotates in the opposite direction to most planets) |
| Moons | None |
| Exploration Missions | Mariner 2, Venera series, Magellan, Akatsuki |
- Venus, the second planet from the Sun.
- It is often called Earth’s twin but is a harsh and hellish world.
- Venus’s atmosphere is incredibly dense, composed primarily of carbon dioxide. This dense atmosphere traps heat from the sun, creating the runaway greenhouse effect.
- Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
- Several space missions, including Mariner 2, Venera, and Magellan, have studied Venus, providing valuable insights into its atmosphere, surface, and geology.
- Future missions, such as NASA’s VERITAS and DAVINCI+, aim to further explore Venus.
- Venus is named after the goddess of love.
- Venus rotates on its axis in the opposite direction to most other planets, a phenomenon known as retrograde rotation. This means that the sun rises in the west and sets in the east on Venus.
Past and future Missions To Venus
- Past missions: Mariner 2 (USA, 1962), Venus Express (ESA), Magellan (NASA), Akatsuki (Japan), etc.
- Future missions: Venus life finder mission (Rocket Lab and MIT), DAVINCI and VERITAS (NASA), EnVision (ESA)
