NASA has announced to future missions that will hopefully shed more light on the mystery planet that is Venus. Venus has characteristics almost identical to Earth. However, currently, scientists know so little about the planet itself. When comparing Venus to Earth, both worlds have complex weather systems, size, atmospheric composition, and density. Both planets are near the sun, with Venus being thirty percent closer to it than Earth. Scientist also refer to Venus as Earth’s sister planet because of its volcanic activity, plateaus, and water availability. In order to help with lack of knowledge about the fiery planet, NASA has planned two missions codenamed DAVINCI+ and VERITAS to study the planet further. The mission’s primary goal is to design a detailed 3-D model of Venus to better understand the planet’s environmental makeup, features, activity atmosphere, and more.
With the excitement building of new exploration and understanding also comes new groundbreaking technology to aid discovery. Mission VERITAS will use technologies like an atomic clock in deep space with great precision that will allow spacecraft to traverse and approach the planet. Once this 3-D model of Venus is created, scientists believe that things like real-time evaluations of the planet will presumably be achievable. With $500 million given for the missions, NASA plans a launch date anywhere between 2028 and 2030. While this undertaking will undoubtedly be an immense challenge, the information that NASA could unlock with these missions could rewrite our understanding of Venus.