New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has taken initiatives for feasibility studies on missions to Venus as well as aeronomy studies, minister of state for science and technology Jitendra Singh said.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said both these missions are being conceptualized and the scientific scopes are being deliberated nationally with participation of science community.
The term “aeronomy,” coined and introduced about 60 years ago, refers to the scientific study of the upper atmospheric regions of the Earth and other solar system bodies. It covers the chemistry, dynamics and energy balance of both neutral and charged particles.
As per LiveMint report, Isro will send a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study what lies below its surface. It is expecting to launch the mission by December 2024 with an orbital maneuver planned for a year after that.
The orbital maneuver is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft. It enables a spacecraft to enter a planet’s orbit.
The aim of the mission is to study Venus’ atmosphere, which is toxic and corrosive in nature as clouds of sulfuric acid cover the planet. Several countries, including the United States, are also planning to send missions to Venus to try and understand how it became an inferno, the report said.
