Venus, long called Earth’s ‘evil twin’ for its toxic clouds and crushing heat, is drawing fresh global attention.
After decades of neglect, five major missions from NASA, ESA, ISRO and Roscosmos are set to probe its dense atmosphere, hidden geology, and potential for ancient oceans.
Scientists say these missions could finally explain why Venus—so similar to Earth in size and composition—became a hellish world instead of a habitable one.
NASA’s DAVINCI: Diving into the Atmosphere
NASA’s Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) mission is designed to study Venus’s dense atmosphere in unprecedented detail. Scheduled to launch in the 2030s, DAVINCI will deploy a descent probe to measure atmospheric composition from the cloud tops to the surface.
The mission aims to determine whether Venus ever had oceans and to gain a better understanding of its volcanic and tectonic history. According to NASA, DAVINCI+ will capture high-resolution images of Venus’s surface during its descent, providing new insights into terrain that has been largely unexplored since the 1980s.
NASA’s VERITAS: Mapping the Surface
Running in parallel with DAVINCI is NASA’s Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy (VERITAS) mission. Also targeting a launch no earlier than 2031, VERITAS will orbit Venus and use radar to map its surface with high precision.
The mission’s goal is to determine whether Venus is still geologically active and to compare its tectonic processes with those of Earth. VERITAS will provide data on surface composition and topography, helping scientists understand why Venus evolved so differently from Earth. VERITAS will be NASA’s first dedicated Venus orbiter mission since the 1990s.
ESA’s EnVision: Europe’s Flagship Venus Mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has officially adopted EnVision as its next mission to Venus. Set to launch aboard an Ariane 6 rocket in 2031, EnVision will study the planet from its inner core to its outer atmosphere.
EnVision will carry a suite of instruments to analyse surface features, atmospheric chemistry and subsurface structure. ESA’s Science Programme Committee approved the mission in January 2024, marking the transition from concept to implementation. According to ESA, the mission will help answer key questions about Venus’s geological activity and climate evolution.
ISRO’s Shukrayaan-1: India Joins the Venus Race
India’s space agency ISRO is preparing its first Venus mission, Shukrayaan‑1. Initially targeted for launch in 2024, the project has been delayed and is now planned for launch in March 2028.
The orbiter will carry scientific instruments to investigate Venus’s atmosphere, surface, and near-surface interactions, as well as the planet’s interaction with solar radiation. The mission represents a significant step for India in planetary science and international collaboration.
The mission will focus on cloud dynamics, surface emissions and the interaction between solar radiation and Venus’s thick atmosphere. While final launch details are pending, Shukrayaan-1 marks a significant milestone for India in planetary science and international collaboration.
Roscosmos’ Venera-D: Russia’s Return to Venus
Russia’s Roscosmos has proposed the Venera-D mission, a long-delayed project aimed at reviving the country’s legacy of Venus exploration. Venera-D would include both an orbiter and a lander, designed to study atmospheric processes and surface conditions.
Although the mission has faced funding and scheduling challenges, it remains on the roadmap for the early 2030s. Venera-D would mark Russia‘s first dedicated Venus mission since the Soviet era, when the Venera programme achieved several historic landings.
A New Era of Planetary Science
Together, these five missions represent a global effort to unravel the mysteries of Venus, a planet that has long intrigued scientists with its extreme conditions and Earth-like origins.
From atmospheric chemistry and volcanic activity to tectonic structure and surface composition, researchers hope to uncover why Venus became so inhospitable, and whether it once harboured conditions suitable for life. These investigations could also shed light on the fate of Earth-like planets elsewhere in the universe.
The renewed interest in Venus reflects its importance as a natural laboratory for understanding planetary evolution, climate change and habitability beyond Earth, offering vital clues for future exploration and comparative planetology.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
