India's Venus Expedition

 India 's Chandrayaan 2 mission was discussed all over the world. With the help of the orbiter, Vikram Lander's whereabouts were traced but he could not be reached yet. Even if Vikram Lander's work is stalled, it will be possible for our space explorers to study the moon as the work of the orbiter is proceeding smoothly. But after Chandrayaan 2, many people were wondering what to do next. Although experiments have failed, scientists and researchers have not stopped their work. They immediately find out what went wrong in the previous experiment and move on to the next study. The Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO ) is all set to launch a spacecraft to Venus after successfully completing the lunar and Mars missions. This mission is expected to be completed during 2023-25. The expedition is likely to be named Shukrayan.

For the past several years, humans have been trying to find life outside of Earth. Venus is the first name to be mentioned when it comes to JV. Venus is the most mysterious planet in the solar system. Venus is 30 percent closer to the Sun than we are. So Venus has much more solar radiation than Earth, and the heat is also enormous. It is covered with sulfur clouds , so there are volcanoes and lava on the surface. Venus was once an Earth-like planet. Over time, however, life flourished on Earth, and Venus did not have its signature. In September 2020, scientists claimed to have discovered phosphine gas on Venus . It is made up of one atom of phosphorus and three atoms of hydrogen. This gas also forms micro-organisms. Phosphine is associated with living things on Earth. Phosphine is found in micro-organisms found in the stomachs of animals such as penguins or in low oxygenated areas such as swamps. The micro-organisms emit this gas due to lack of oxygen. Phosphine can also be made in factories. But Venus has no factories or penguins. So where did this gas come from on Venus? Why is it 50 kilometers above the surface of the planet ? Scientists do not claim to have life on Venus. But more research is needed on this possibility. Venus clouds are likely to contain large amounts of this gas. The inorganic medium of phosphine has not been discovered considering the amount of phosphine found on the planet Venus. Therefore, the possibility of Venus being alive can be considered. Venus has a thick layer of atmosphere with high levels of carbon dioxide. The atmosphere here is 96 percent carbon dioxide. Atmospheric pressure on this planet is 90 times higher than on Earth. The surface temperature of Venus is about 400 degrees Celsius, much like a pizza oven . So even if you set foot on Venus, you will burn in a few seconds. That's why if there are creatures on Venus, they are 50 from the surface It is expected to be at a height of one kilometer. If life is found in the clouds on Venus, it will help us to understand many things. Because this means that there is room for the possibility of life in other places in the galaxy. If so, then there is no need to have a planet like Earth to survive. Because life can be found on a huge hot planet like Venus in the Milky Way. This mission can play an important role in confirming life beyond Earth. Therefore, ISRO's goal is to study Venus .    

                                                The atmosphere of Venus is so dense that it is difficult for sunlight to reach its surface. ISRO aims to learn more about Venus by studying this. As this spacecraft orbits Venus, is there any possibility of life or not? What is under the surface of the hottest planet? Also, what is the secret of Venus 's mysterious sulfuric acid clouds? Will find out. The mission will include monitoring the surface of Venus , examining the lower surface layers, finding active volcanoes, collecting lava flows, and information about the structure and shape of Venus. Venus will be used to investigate the atmosphere of Venus and to find out the relationship of Venus with the solar winds. The main objective of this mission will be to study the dense clouds over Venus, the surface of Venus, the effect of solar radiation on it, and the solar wind.

Venus is an average of 410 million km away from the Earth. As it revolves around the sun, this distance increases and decreases. The spacecraft will be launched on Venus in December 2024, when Earth and Venus approach. During these years, the position of Earth and Venus will be such that it will be possible to place the spacecraft in the orbit of Venus with minimal use of propellant. This will make it possible for the spacecraft to determine the shortest orbital path. This type of condition will be available after 2031. ISRO plans to complete the mission by December 2024 and keep the spacecraft in orbit around Venus in subsequent years.    

The most important device in Venus is the payload, which will be a high resolution synthetic aperture radar. It will examine the surface of Venus. This is because the surface of Venus is surrounded by thick clouds of sulfuric acid. So the surface of Venus is not usually visible. So far no country or space agency has conducted an underground study. India will be doing this for the first time in the world. We are going to fly sub-surface radar on Venus. ISRO scientists have prepared a project report of the Venus mission. The cost is being prepared. The government and scientists agree on this project. Preparations are underway to launch a satellite with the right equipment in the direction of Venus. Sending a spacecraft to Venus is an easy task for India. Since India has the capability to plan and carry out the Venus mission, it is possible for India to complete the mission in a very short time. The mission will be launched from ISRO's reliable rocket GSLV MK- 2. India will not copy the missions sent to Venus like other countries and space agencies. ISRO scientists will build high-quality experiments for Venus. As ISRO did in Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission). Therefore, once again, the flag of India and scientists will be hoisted on the world stage. Experiments in previous missions to Venus should not be repeated, and the focus should be on repeating the same results that were achieved during the Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter missions. Chandrayaan 2 was just the beginning for ISRO. More work and more missions will be undertaken by ISRO and your researchers will surely make it a success.

-Suresh Mantri .