The European Space Agency is going to have to think out of the box to survive on Venus.
There are stark difficulties facing the EnVision mission. Our planetary neighbor's "hot, thick atmosphere" made up of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid fumes makes it the hottest planet in our Solar System.
The agency will need a detailed plan in order to safely "surf" the Venusian atmosphere.
The European Space Agency is in the process of developing a tried-and-true "aerobraking" method, which involves the spacecraft slowing down so that it can lower its altitude to just above the planet's roiling atmosphere.
It will attempt to gather as much information as possible. If everything goes according to plan, EnVision will repeat this process.
The craft will get as low as 93 miles above Venus' surface in order to get the best images.
Engineers at the European Space Agency are testing a range of different materials and coating to protect the scientific instruments on the spaceship.
The EnVision mission is expected to arrive at Venus in the early 2030s, which is a few years after the launch of NASA's DAVINCI mission.
They're likely trading notes because of the many past collaborations between the two agencies.
The spaceship is ready to surf Venus.
MIT scientists say life may have been detected on Venus.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
