Index – Science – Space in the XXI. century wild west



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The space industry has exploded in recent years. Private players are taking more and more parts of the market. They provide a reliable service and, above all, better than the previous gigantic companies affiliated with the state space agency. This, of course, affects many market players in a sensitive way, not only at the corporate level but also at the state level.

Everyone watches what others are doing or preparing for in outer space. As a space it will be the 21st century. Wild west century, there are many problems that arise and problems to be solved.

The Russians are already on Venus

A great example of this elevated mood is the statement by Dmitry Rogozin, director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

Last week, a joint US-British research team announced that traces of phosphine have been detected in Venus’s atmosphere, as it could even be a sign of life, and the planet will receive special attention in its space exploration plans in the near future. term.

In response, Rogozin stated that

the Russian planet Venus. This statement, on the other hand, is quite compelling in light of the conventions of space law.

Rogozin explained the expropriation by saying that Russia was the first to explore the planet, examine its atmosphere, land on its surface, take photos there. At the same time, he confirmed that more missions are planned for the planet in the future.

Aside from the small misconception that it is not Russia but the Soviet Union that deserves to set these space exploration milestones, you are quantitatively right about the discoveries. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union launched 16 Venyera probes to explore the planet. Venyera-7 was the first to send data from the surface, Venyera-9 sent the first photo. However, since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the planet has not received attention in the Russian space program.

Meanwhile, NASA was only tangentially dealing with Venus. For various probes, the planet was used only for acceleration. For example, in the case of the Cassini-Huygens probe, Venus’s gravitational wobble was tapped twice before heading to Saturn. In 2006, the Venus Express probe was put into orbit around the planet and it worked so successfully that the expedition lasted three times. In the United States space program, Mars received much more attention.

So let’s divide the space now?

In the current tense political-economic situation, reminiscent of a mini Cold War, it would not hurt to be a little more cautious. Of course, it is not surprising that Russian statements are often emotionally overheated when it comes to the fate of the country.

Rogozin is also known for his well-known frank, sometimes outspoken and occasionally mocking style. It was not the first time that he had spoken of considering Venus as Russian territory. Rogozin regularly gives interviews to the state media. In August, this phrase had already been pronounced by him. Probably not by accident, just as the SpaceX crew returned from the International Space Station.

Nor can it be a coincidence that you have talked about this before. The detection of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus is not a recent discovery, for a long time the authenticity of the discovery was verified through several channels. They may have already learned about the discovery through scientific channels, so they mention the successes they have achieved and their future plans.

Illustrative image of a phosphine molecule in the atmosphere of Venus

Illustrative image of a phosphine molecule in the atmosphere of Venus

Photo: That / nasa / Reuters

But this kind of division is not fortunate just because the Russians would fare very badly.

If it mattered in possession of the planets, who launched how many expeditions and what successes they had achieved, they would be free to defend themselves. Although they could possess Venus, Americans would possess the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and all the planets.

The Russians neglected the exploration of these areas. Also, it is the planet that is not really suitable for anything due to the conditions of its surface, although it looks beautiful like an evening star in the sky.

Mine, yours, whose?

But this kind of division doesn’t make sense. The UN-sponsored International Space Treaty has existed for more than fifty years, with the creation of the UN Space Commission in 1959. In his 1961 speech, President Kennedy called for regulating the use of outer space. The project was introduced by the Soviet Union in 1962, adopted by the General Assembly the following year, and then entered into force in October 1967. So far, the treaty has been ratified by more than 100 countries and signed by 25 others.

According to the basic treaty, the exploration and use of outer space should be enjoyed by all humanity, for the benefit of all human beings. It is an area that can be freely investigated by all and cannot be appropriated by any state. It is forbidden to install nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in space, the Moon and planets can only be used for peaceful purposes. In Hungarian, this treaty clearly prohibits anyone from taking possession of any part of outer space, including Venus.

The field of scientific work is

When the word distractions ends, as before, everyone will go back to normal work. Russia did not suddenly think of returning to Venus, a plan that had been cherished for nearly twenty years.

Venyera-D would usher in a new era of Venus research, a sort of Venus 2.0, a continuation of the intellectual legacy of the successful Venyera probes. In 2015, they presented their plans in detail with NASA’s Venus team in the hopes of carrying out a joint mission. The Russian Venyera-D satellite is expected to remain, along with NASA.

The draft envisions an expedition that would accomplish multiple missions at once. The probe would consist of a circulating unit and a landing unit. The orbiting unit would continually collect data from the planet. The landing unit would collect data from the atmosphere during landing while continuously taking infrared photographs, and even taking additional photographs and taking soil samples after landing.

Venyera-D concept drawing when it reaches Venus

Venyera-D concept drawing when it reaches Venus

Photo: Wikipedia

A balloon catheter is also planned. This would collect data by flying at different altitudes in the atmosphere. Venyera-D is scheduled to be released later this decade.

Roscosmos also plans to launch three more probes, but its plans have yet to be detailed.

Why did Venus become like this?

Investigating Venus is important not only because of the possible sign of life. Earth and Venus could even have been twin brothers at the time of their formation. However, something happened to Venus that turned heaven into hell. Normally, Venus could have a warmer climate similar to climate. But something happened in the planet’s history that caused Venus’s heated atmosphere to fill with carbon dioxide, its water to evaporate, then disappear, and the surface to heat up to more than 400 degrees Celsius.

If we understand what happened to Venus, we will have a better chance of slowing down global warming. And in doing so, we could do a lot to keep Earth away from the fate of Venus.

(Cover image: The planet Venus passes before the Sun. Photo: NASA / Reuters)



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