DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-III : S&T Space

04 June, 2021
12 Min Read

VERITAS Mission and DAVINCI+ Mission: NASA Missions on Venus

NASA announced two missions to Venus, Earth’s closest planetary neighbour, as part of its ‘Discovery Program’ that aims to explore and study the solar system.
Missions are
1. The VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) mission will map the surface of the planet, study its geology, and hunt for volcanic activity.
2. The DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) with its atmospheric probe, called Plus, will study the dense atmosphere of Venus to understand the trigger and evolution of the runaway greenhouse effect active on the planet.
The missions are funded for $500 million each and are expected to launch somewhere around 2028-2030.
Earth’s twin: Venus is often called Earth’s twin because of similar mass, size, gravity, surface composition and complex atmospheric processes.
However, we know much less about it compared to the other planetary neighbour, Mars. This is largely due to it being obscured by an extremely dense layer of atmosphere and clouds.

VERITAS Mission

The VERITAS mission will study the planet’s geology with radar, map its entire surface topography in 3D and will try to understand why it developed differently from Earth.
It will also study infrared emissions from the surface to map various kinds of rocks.
The mission will also seek to understand if any volcanic or tectonic activity is present on the planet currently.
It will also try to find out if any active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere, sustaining its greenhouse effect.

DAVINCI+ Mission

The DAVINCI+ will measure the atmospheric composition of Venus and its formation and evolution.
The mission will also try to determine if the planet held an ocean of liquid water in the past.
The mission will return the first high-resolution images of unique surface features known as “tesserae” on Venus, which are akin to the continents on Earth, and suggest the existence of plate tectonics.

Other features

The mission’s accompanying Plus probe will drop into the atmosphere, making measurements of noble gas composition in the layers.
Venusian atmosphere is richer in noble gases than Earth’s, indicating different means of evolution. The mission will also aim to understand why the atmospheric gases are in a runaway greenhouse effect and what set it in motion.
Two smaller technology demonstrator missions will also fly with VERITAS and DAVINCI+.
The “ultra-precise” Deep Space Atomic Clock-2 will be tested on VERITAS while the Compact Ultraviolet to Visible Imaging Spectrometer (CUVIS) will fly with DAVINCI+ to make high-resolution UV measurements.
The latter is expected to aid the understanding of how large amounts of incoming solar energy and UV gets absorbed by the atmosphere around Venus.

Source: The Print

Join Our Telegram

Black Carbon study by World Bank

Central Vista project essential, of public importance: Delhi HC

Formation Day

03 Dec, 25
SHARE

On 1st November, eight Indian states—Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu—along with five Union Territories—Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry—celebrate their Formation Day. This date marks an important milestone in India

Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary

02 Dec, 25
SHARE

The Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Kachhua Sanctuary, is located in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. It is recognised as India’s first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary, established to conserve endangered turtle species and support the ecological health of the Ganga River. Location and Extent The sanctuary co

Introduction of AI and Computational Thinking (CT) in

02 Dec, 25
SHARE

The Ministry of Education plans to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) from Class 3 onwards in the 2026–27 academic year. This initiative is part of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 and aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The aim is to prepare student

Sal Tree

02 Dec, 25
SHARE

Scientists from the Environment Department of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) in Shimla have recently revealed that the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) is the most effective natural air purifier for combating rising pollution levels. Their findings highlight the tree’s superior capacity to trap dust, absorb gases, and cleanse the air compared

US Resumes Nuclear Weapon Testing

02 Dec, 25
SHARE

The President of the United States has ordered the resumption of nuclear weapon testing after a gap of 33 years, the last test being in 1992. This decision marks a significant shift in global nuclear policy and has far-reaching implications for geopolitics, the environment, and international security. Status of Global Nuclear Weapon Testing

Quick Links Testimonials FAQ

Crash Course

Regular Modules 2024

Mains

Optional

VERITAS Mission and DAVINCI+ Mission: NASA Missions on Venus

VERITAS Mission and DAVINCI+ Mission: NASA Missions on Venus

Formation Day

Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary

Introduction of AI and Computational Thinking (CT) in

Sal Tree

US Resumes Nuclear Weapon Testing

DNA

03 Dec,2025

Important GS Topics

Toppers

Search By Date

Top Editorials

UPSC Courses

Saarthi Mentorship Programme

Important Tags

Articles:Geography And Environment

Articles: History Culture Society

Articles: Governance & National Issues

Articles: IR & IO

Articles: Economic Development & Economic Issues

Articles: S&T Internal Security

Articles: Ethics & Others

Articles: Others

Newsletter Subscription

SMS Alerts

Important Links