After Mars, ISRO decides it’s time to probe Venus

  • It’s official. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has invited scientists to suggest studies for a potential orbiter mission to Venus – somewhat similar to the one that landed in Mars in 2013.
  • ISRO plans to send a spacecraft that will initially go around Venus in an elliptical orbit before getting closer to the ‘Yellow Planet’.
  • It will carry instruments weighing 175 kg and using 500W of power.
  • The scientific community has been told to suggest space-based studies by May 19.

About Venus:

  • Venus, the second planet from the Sun, comes closest to Earth roughly every 583 days, or about 19 months.
  • Venus, our closest planetary neighbour, is similar to Earth in many aspects.
  • However, it takes only 225 days to revolve around the Sun. Secondly, the surface is very hot due to nearness to the Sun.
  • India’s previous and second planetary outing, the record-setting Rs. 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) of 2013, continues to impress.
  • The orbiter is going round the Red Planet even as you read this — well beyond its planned life of six months.
  • An orbiter sent to the Moon in 2008 was delivering data until about three months before its estimated life span.
  • A second Moon landing mission is planned in early 2018.

Source: The Hindu

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