EnVision Mission to Venus By ESA

EnVision is a mission in partnership with NASA led by European Space Agency (ESA) and is planned to launch in the early 2030s It will be the first mission of its kind that will try to study the system in Venus from core to cloud, looking for signs of geological and volcanic activity and to find how although being so similar to Earth in the whole of the Solar System, it evolved so differently. NASA will be providing the Synthetic Aperture Radar (VenSAR) and Deep Space Network to support critical mission phases.

EnVision Mission by ESA Objectives

The objectives of EnVision Mission by ESA can be summed up as follows -

• How the surface and the interior of the planet Venus evolved.
• To study the extent to which Venus is geologically or tectonically active and how active it was during the past billion years.
• EnVision Mission by ESA also aims to study the atmosphere and climate in Venus as shaped by geological processes.
• EnVision Mission by ESA further will try to study whether there are oceans on Venus and whether traces of past water can be found in the oldest rocks.

Another objective of EnVision Mission by ESA will be to understand how Venus can lose heat and when and why the runaway greenhouse effect started on the planet.

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Important Facts About EnVision Mission by ESA

The success of missions like ESA's Venus Express (2005-2014), the Soviet Venera Programme (1961-1984), NASA's Pioneer Venus mission (1978-1992), and NASA's Magellan Orbiter (1989-1994) has set the road for the EnVision Mission by ESA.

EnVision Mission by ESA will also utilise the findings of JAXA's Akatsuki Mission which entered the Venus orbit in 2015.

The EnVision Misson ESA will work in synergy with VERITAS ( Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy). And also in synergy with DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) missions to prove the most comprehensive study that has ever been made on Venus.

The EnVision Mission by ESA's dimension will be a three-axis, rectangular stabilised satellite. At the launch, they will be 2.5 tonnes, with approximately 2 m x 2 m x 3 m in the stowed configuration.

EnVision Mission by ESA will make its observations at ultraviolet, high frequency, infrared, visible, and microwave wavelengths.

The mission will follow up on questions raised by the earlier missions to Venus-like ESA's Venus Express. EnVision will be the first mission subsurface radar sounding instrument and VenSAR radar.

Significance of EnVision Mission by ESA

The mission aims to study Venus's atmosphere and surface, trace atmosphere gases, and study the composition of the planet's surface.

It will help to take necessary measures to reduce the greenhouse effect on Earth and act as a caution on how drastically a planet's climate may change.

FAQs on EnVision Mission by ESA

Q.1. Why will EnVision Mission by ESA be Studying Venus?

Ans. Venus is most like Earth in size, distance from the Sun, and composition of all the other planets. Venus, compared to Earth, is way hotter to host any liquid form of water on its surface. But, billions of years ago, there may have been an Earth-Like climate on Venus, with the current climatic condition developing due to a runaway greenhouse effect. Hence, the emphasis on studying Venus to understand whether it is habitable or not will be studying EnVision Mission by ESA.

Q.2. When Was the EnVision Mission by ESA Selected?

Ans. The EnVision Mission by ESA was selected on 10th June 2021 by ESA's Science Programme Committee. It was selected as the 5th medium-class mission in the Cosmic Vision Plan of ESA.

Q.3. What is the Lifetime of EnVision Mission by ESA?

Ans. The Lifetime of EnVision Mission by ESA will be a total nominal science period of 6 sidereal days in Venus, four earth years.

Q.4. How long will it take for EnVision Mission by ESA to reach Venus?

Ans. After its launch at Arian 6 Rocket, EnVision Mission by ESA will take 15 months for the spacecraft to reach Venus and an additional time of 16montsh orbit circularisation.

Q.5. From Where will the EnVision Mission by ESA launch?

Ans. EnVision Mission by ESA is planned to launch from ESA's Spaceport in Kourou, Frech Guiana.