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The discovery could be a hint of life, a biomarker, on a planet known for its hellish environment and volcanic surface. While a great deal of research will have to be done before anything can be confirmed, the announcement has come as an added bonus for the many missions that could explore one of Earth’s closest planetary neighbors in the near future.
But first, a look at missions that have tried something similar in the past. All countries and agencies, from the European Space Agency to those of the former Soviet Union and the United States, have sent missions to Venus over the past decades; there have been more than 40 missions of this type. In 1962, the deep space probe of the US space agency NASA Sailor 2 it became the first spacecraft to make a successful planetary flyby. It also sent temperature readings and other information about Venus.
The sovietic Union Venus The program saw a series of unmanned planetary probes to Venus launched between 1961-84. While some of these probes never passed Earth’s orbit, others smashed into Venus, such as the Venus 3. Other missions analyzed the chemical composition of the planet’s upper atmosphere. Venus 9 Y 10 sent the first black and white images of the surface of Venus in 1975; Venus 13 it was the first lander to transmit color images in 1982.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) Akatsuki, launched in 2010, is currently orbiting the planet. Study weather patterns and signs of active volcanism on the planet through high-speed imaging, radio science, and camera instruments.
“Everything we learn about the atmosphere of Venus and the chemical cycles there expands our knowledge of how Earth-like planets evolve in the universe and how other planets have strayed out of the way of Earth. So if we really want to understand in depth climate change, geological history, and the nature of planets in general, we need to understand how we should interpret these findings, “says David Grinspoon, senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, a USA. a nonprofit organization that focuses on planetary science and exploration of the solar system. Grinspoon says the discovery of phosphine offers an additional impetus for more missions on the planet and seeks answers to fundamental questions. “We already had many important reasons to continue exploring Venus … But now we have even more reasons to go, “he adds in an email.
One proposed mission is that of India Shukrayaan-1—An orbiter from the Indian Space Research Organization that will aim to study the planet’s surface and atmosphere. It has a tentative launch date of 2023, which could be extended to 2025, and will carry scientific instruments from India and other countries. The Swedish Institute for Space Physics announced in July that its Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA), which would be on board Shukrayaan-1, would study how charged particles from the sun interact with the planet’s atmosphere and exosphere.
From nasa VERITAS (short for Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy) the mission is under consideration for their Discovery program, a series of missions to explore the Solar System that has been running since 1992. According to an official statement, the VERITAS The spacecraft, proposed for a launch in 2026, would orbit Venus and look through the planet’s dark clouds with the help of a powerful radar system to create 3D global maps and a near-infrared spectrometer to find out what it’s on. made the surface. “It would also measure the gravitational field of the planet to determine the structure of the interior of Venus. Together, the instruments would offer clues about the planet’s past and present geological processes, from its core to its surface. “The last mission to study the surface of Venus was Magellan, which ended in 1994.
I like it VERITAS, he DAVINCI + The mission (Venus Investigation of the Deep Atmosphere of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging Plus) is another candidate to study the planet’s atmosphere and try to decode whether Venus ever had an ocean.
The study of our “sister planet” is one of the most important topics in comparative planetology today, but any future mission will not be without significant challenges, says Siddharth Pandey, director of the Center for Excellence in Astrobiology at Amity University in Mumbai. You need high temperature electronics because when you move towards the sun, the energy levels are quite high. All probes that normally go towards the sun, be it Mercury or Venus, tend to have very strong thermal protection systems, requiring a lot of space inside a spacecraft, “says Pandey.” For anything heading towards Venus , you will need a similar type of thermal insulation, as well as electronics, systems like cameras, communication units that can operate in that high-energy environment ”, he adds.
While the environment on the surface of Venus is extremely hot, dry, and harsh, the clouds are made of concentrated sulfuric acid. “So any vehicle we send there has to be built to withstand the acidic environment,” adds Grinspoon, describing the phosphine announcement as “an exciting development.”
Fact Sheet on Phosphine
What is this molecule?
PhospHina is a colorless, toxic gas made from phosphorus and hydrogen.
What makes the discovery so interesting?
On Earth, phosphine is generated through natural processes, lightning, and volcanic activity, but only in small amounts. The only known processes that produce phosphine on Earth in similar amounts are of biological origin. The amount of phosphine detected in the clouds of Venus is relatively large.
Whats Next?
To understand if this is happening biologically, through the possible presence of microorganisms, taking measurements in the planet’s atmosphere, and potentially bringing samples to Earth for further analysis.
Source: Royal Astronomical Society
