The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has exciting news! The Indian government has given the green light for a big project called the Shukrayaan mission, which will send a satellite to Venus. The launch is set for March 29, 2028, and the satellite will reach Venus on July 19, 2028.
Nilesh Desai, the director of ISRO, explained that Shukrayaan will help scientists learn more about Venus, a planet often called Earth’s twin. The mission will study Venus’ thick atmosphere, check out the surface, and look at how active the planet is. It will have advanced tools like cameras and sensors to gather information about clouds, volcanic activity, and other features.
This mission is a teamwork effort with scientists from other countries like Russia, Sweden, France, and Germany. The Swedish group will even create a special tool called the Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA) to see how solar wind affects Venus. The total budget for this mission is Rs 1,236 crore.
What’s Next for Chandrayaan 4?
Nilesh Desai also talked about the future moon mission called Chandrayaan 4. This mission, in partnership with Japan, aims to collect samples from the Moon’s south pole, which has never been done before. Chandrayaan 4 will have a bigger rover weighing 350 kg, planned for a launch around 2030.
ISRO’s New Weather and Communication Satellites
ISRO is not just focusing on interplanetary missions; they are also working on weather and communication technology. They are planning to launch new satellites from the INSAT 4 series, which will help improve weather forecasts and communication around the world.
With these plans, ISRO is making strides in space exploration and scientific advancement!