Mission type Venus orbiter Mission duration Planned: 1 Year Manufacturer ISAC | Operator ISRO Bus I-1K Launch mass 1500 kg | |
The Indian Venusian orbiter mission is a proposed orbiter to Venus by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to study the atmosphere of Venus. If funded, it would be launched between 2017 and 2020.
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Jacques Blamont, an astrophysicist, has offered to provide the Indian Space Research Organisation with gigantic balloons carrying several instruments designed to deploy in and out of the extremely hot atmosphere of the planet after being unfettered from the orbiter.
A mission to explore Venus has been mentioned in Department of Space demands for grant 2017-18.
Current Status
Based on the success of Chandrayaan and the Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission), a team of Isro scientists are studying the feasibility of future interplanetary missions to Mars and Venus. The plans for such interplanetary spaceflights are under discussion, and the study team is exploring the various opportunities and options for missions to Mars and Venus, the closest planetary neighbours to Earth. Based on the recommendations of the study team, the plans for missions to Venus and Mars will be chalked out.
The Government of India in its budget for year 2017-18 moved ahead, and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave the Department of Space a whopping 23 per cent increase in its budget. Under the space sciences section, the Budget mentions provisions "for Mars Orbiter Mission II and Mission to Venus".
Partnership with NASA
On a visit to India in February, 2017, Michael M Watkins, Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA, said they would be keen to at least put a telematics module so NASA's rovers and the Indian satellites are able to talk to each other. India's maiden mission to Venus in all probability going to be an orbiter mission. Watkins said a mission to Venus is very-very worthwhile as so little is understood about that planet and NASA would definitely be willing to partner in India's maiden voyage to Venus. Towards that, NASA and ISRO have already initiated talks this month on trying to jointly undertake studies on using electrical propulsion for powering this mission.
K Kasturirangan, former chairman of ISRO, says, "India should be part of this global adventure and exploring Venus and Mars is very worthwhile since humans definitely need another habitation beyond Earth."