Nilanjan
ISRO, India’s space agency, is getting ready for a new mission. After the successful Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, they are now focusing on Venus, our nearby planet.
The ISRO Chairman, S Somanath, shared the good news about the progress of the Venus mission, known informally as “Shukrayaan-1.
Shukrayaan-1 Mission: Exploring Venus with Advanced Radar
Shukrayaan-1 is a mission to study Venus. It will have a special tool called Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to take detailed pictures of Venus’s surface, even though its thick clouds.
SAR is like a super camera that can see through clouds and darkness, giving us data day and night, no matter the weather.
The mission aims to learn about Venus’s geology, volcanoes, ground emissions, wind speed, clouds, and more. It will orbit Venus in a curved path.
ISRO plans to launch Shukrayaan-1 using either GSLV Mk II or GSLV Mk III rockets, with the latter allowing more equipment or fuel to be carried.
Shukrayaan-1 Mission’s Goal: Unveiling Venus
The main aim of Shukrayaan-1 is to explore Venus thoroughly. Even though Venus is close in size to Earth, it’s very different. This mission wants to study both the surface and air around Venus, especially its rocks and land features.
- Explore Venus’s Surface and Below: Shukrayaan-1 will look at what’s happening on Venus’s surface and just below it. No one has ever done this before.
- Understanding Rock Layers: They will study how rocks are stacked on Venus. This is called stratigraphy in geology.
- Analyze Venus’s Air: The mission will also check out what the air on Venus is like. They want to know what it’s made of and how it moves.
- Solar Wind and Venus: Shukrayaan-1 will see how the wind from the Sun interacts with Venus’s outer layer.
Could Life Exist on Venus? A Mystery for Scientists
Scientists wonder if there might be life on Venus. NASA isn’t sure, but some scientists think tiny life forms could be high up in Venus’s air where it’s kind of like Earth’s surface.
As for Shukrayaan-1, it’s moving forward, but we don’t know when it will launch or other important details.
People have explored Venus before with missions like Venus Express, Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter, and Parker Solar Probe. They’ve given us cool information and pictures of Venus.
Why Does Shukrayaan-1 Matter?
- Understanding Other Planets: Shukrayaan-1 can teach us about planets like Earth and what they go through as they develop. This knowledge is useful when looking at planets that orbit stars far from our Sun.
- Earth’s Climate Lessons: It can also help us simulate and understand Earth’s climate. Plus, it reminds us how a planet’s climate can shift dramatically, which is something we should be cautious about.
