India is setting its sights on Venus with the ambitious Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM). The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved this mission, which is scheduled for launch in March 2028.
The mission aims to study Venus' surface, atmosphere, and volcanic activity, providing valuable insights into the planet's evolution and its similarities and differences with Earth. This initiative marks another significant step in India's expanding space exploration efforts, following the successful missions to the Moon and Mars.
The total fund approved for the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), is Rs.1236 Crore (approximately US$ 147.7 million) out of which Rs 824.00 Crore (approximately US$ 98.5 million) will be spent on the spacecraft. The cost includes development and realization of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for navigation and network as well as the cost of launch vehicle.
The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), also known as Shukrayaan-1, will carry a suite of scientific instruments designed to study various aspects of Venus.
These instruments will help scientists gain a deeper understanding of Venus’ atmosphere, surface, and geological history, providing valuable data for comparative planetology.
So far, India and its space agency ISRO has successfully sent scientific spacecrafts to Orbits of the Sun, the Moon and Planet Mars.
In 2008, India launched its first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which confirmed the presence of water molecules on the Moon.
The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) in 2013 made India the first country to reach Mars orbit on its maiden attempt. AstroSat, launched in 2015, marked India’s first dedicated astronomy mission. The recent Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023 successfully landed on the lunar south pole, making India the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.
Additionally, the Aditya-L1 mission, launched in 2023, aims to study the Sun.
These achievements highlight India’s growing capabilities and ambitions in space exploration, positioning it as a significant player on the global stage.
The Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), also known as Shukrayaan-1, will carry a suite of scientific instruments designed to study various aspects of Venus.
These instruments will help scientists gain a deeper understanding of Venus’ atmosphere, surface, and geological history, providing valuable data for comparative planetology.
So far, India and its space agency ISRO has successfully sent scientific spacecrafts to Orbits of the Sun, the Moon and Planet Mars.
In 2008, India launched its first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, which confirmed the presence of water molecules on the Moon.
The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) in 2013 made India the first country to reach Mars orbit on its maiden attempt. AstroSat, launched in 2015, marked India’s first dedicated astronomy mission. The recent Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023 successfully landed on the lunar south pole, making India the fourth nation to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.
Additionally, the Aditya-L1 mission, launched in 2023, aims to study the Sun.
These achievements highlight India’s growing capabilities and ambitions in space exploration, positioning it as a significant player on the global stage.
Advertisements