NASA is finally heading back to Venus. What exactly are they looking for, and why? Let's find out.

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Although the planet was a focus for early exploration, temperatures that melt lead and clouds of sulfuric acid earned Venus a reputation of being “hard to work with.”

Between 1970 and 1985, a number of landers reached Venus’ surface, but none lasted more than about two hours. So that’s why NASA pivoted to Mars, where its Viking 1 lander touched down successfully in 1976.

Fast forward to 2020 and scientists announced the discovery of phosphine on Venus, a potential sign of life. That turned everything around. Although the findings were heavily controversial, it reignited interest in the forgotten planet.

The two missions, DAVINCI+ and VERITAS have scientists re-examining two major theories about Venus’ origin. Not only can these missions to Venus tell us more about its origins, but also they can help improve our understanding of exoplanets.

#venus #planetaryscience #science #seeker #elements

Read More:

Why NASA Is Setting Its Sights on Venus Again After Decades
https://slate.com/technology/2021/06/...
"Together, they’ll be the first NASA spacecraft sent to the second planet in our solar system in nearly 40 years."

Strange gas in Venus’s clouds may be a sign of volcanoes, not life
https://www.newscientist.com/article/...
"The thick atmosphere on Venus has made it difficult to study its surface, so we don’t know for certain whether it is volcanically active. 'Many of the volcanic eruptions on Earth are things that would escape our attention if they happened on Venus because of this blanket of sulphuric acid clouds,' says Lunine."

This Is Why Venus Is The Brightest, Most Extreme Planet We Can See
https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswi...
"While the surface of Venus might be the most hellish place in our Solar System...it’s surprisingly Earth-like. With similar pressures and temperatures to those found at Earth’s surface, Venus...might already be home to simple but hardy microbial life forms."

- Special Thanks -
Production Intern: Sally Gu

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