Academy Of Sciences Backs Roscosmos' Idea To Study Soil, Atmosphere Samples Of Venus

Academy of Sciences Backs Roscosmos' Idea to Study Soil, Atmosphere Samples of Venus

He Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences affirms support for Roscosmos' initiative to develop a national program on Venus exploration from 2029 to 2035, including two or three probes to collect soil and atmosphere samples, according to the council's document obtained by Sputnik

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) The Space Council of the Russian academy of Sciences affirms support for Roscosmos' initiative to develop a national program on Venus exploration from 2029 to 2035, including two or three probes to collect soil and atmosphere samples, according to the council's document obtained by Sputnik.

Studying the atmosphere of Venus became especially relevant after scientists from Massachusetts and Cardiff universities announced in September that they had discovered a rare molecule � phosphine gas � in the clouds of the planet. Since the gas is produced on Earth by microbes that live in oxygen-free environments, the discovery suggests that colonies of living microbes could be thriving in a similar environment high in the planet's atmosphere.

"The most important goal in the final stage of the Venus exploration program is to confirm the unique scientific significance of bringing samples from the surface and atmosphere of Venus," the document said.

Russia's Venus exploration program envisions three missions. The first one � Venera-D � is set to launch in November 2029 to study the surface, atmosphere, internal structure and the surrounding plasma of Venus. The second mission, scheduled for June 2031, aims at continuing the study of the planet's atmosphere, and the third, scheduled for June 2034, at delivering samples of the atmosphere, aerosols and possibly soil from Venus to Earth.