New NASA missions to Venus: ‘Amazing how little we know’ | Abroad

NASA has $500 million per “sister mission.” This should measure the composition of the compact Venus atmosphere and clarify why the planet has developed so differently from Earth. This can also provide insight into the greenhouse effect.

High-resolution images of unique geological “tesserae” that could resemble continents are intended to be transmitted. It is also being examined whether there have been oceans on Venus. The missions “offer the entire scientific community an opportunity to explore a planet we haven’t been to in over 30 years,” said NASA CEO Bill Nelson.

‘Astonishing’

The German, French and Italian space agencies are involved. The NASA chief of science finds it “amazing” how little knowledge there is about Venus, but expects to learn a lot about everything from volcanoes to Venus’ core. “It will be as if we have rediscovered the planet.”

The last NASA trip to Venus, Magellan, arrived in 1990. Other missions have since flown past the planet with an average temperature of 460 degrees.

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