The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), following the achievements of Chandrayaan-3 and the Aditya L-1 missions, is now poised to venture into the realm of Venus, often referred to as Earth’s twin through ‘Shukrayaan-1’ .
ISRO Chairman S Somanath announced that the mission to Venus has been meticulously planned, with certain payloads already in the development phase. ISRO is in the process of preparing a proposal for the mission, seeking approval from the Indian government, and aims to launch it in December of the upcoming year.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING
Speaking at the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi, Somanath underscored the significance of studying Venus, highlighting its potential to shed light on Earth’s own history. He explained that, billions of years ago, Earth was also uninhabitable, and examining Venus could provide valuable insights into our planet’s future.
“Venus is a very interesting planet. It also has an atmosphere, which is so thick that you cannot penetrate the surface. We don’t know if the surface is hard or not.”
The proposed name for India’s mission to Venus is ‘Shukrayaan-1.’ In Sanskrit, ‘Shukra’ signifies Venus, while ‘Yaana’ denotes a craft or vehicle. This mission reflects ISRO’s continuous pursuit of pushing the boundaries of space exploration and scientific discovery.