The US, Russia Are Getting Ready to Collaborate for 2029 Venus Mission

The two countries, Russia and the US, that intensely compete in space are preparing to partner up for a joint Venus mission to investigate the hellish planet, according to the Russian space agency Roscosmos head.

Dmitry Rogozin of Roscosmos said during an interview to YouTube channel Soloviov Live that they agreed with the Americans on a joint mission to Venus — Earth’s closest planetary neighbor.

Venus mission: Venera-D

“Venus was traditionally considered the Russian planet. It was the Soviet spacecraft that landed there,” said Rogozin, whose statement was reported by TASS. “But we are going to put a mission there, it is called Venera-D – a joint Russian-American mission.”

The proposed launch date for the Venera-D, which includes a lander, balloons, and an orbiter, is November 2029.

NASA/JPL/USGS

Venus has a thick, toxic atmosphere

As the second planet from the Sun, Venus is known to have a thick and toxic atmosphere that is full of carbon dioxide. The planet is also blanketed in thick clouds of sulfuric acid. As part of the Venera-D, the researchers are planning to deploy durable balloons at different heights, in and under the clouds.

Scientists involving the mission aim to dig into the composition of the aforesaid planet, its atmospheric evolution, and the surface. Meanwhile, Venus is called Earth’s twin as it is similar in terms of its size and density to our planet.

Roscosmos’ Rogozin stated in his interview that the joint work would alleviate the heavy burden of the mission. “It is easier to solve such issues together, using the talents of our scientists, and at the same time, it will be economically simpler, and more reliable in terms of the operation of technology. The US is also interested in this,” he said.

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Venera 7 as a Venus mission

Moreover, Russia seeks to conduct its own missions for Venus exploration. The country intends to send two separate missions in the years 2031 and 2034. Back in 1970, a Soviet-era unmanned spacecraft, Venera 7, became the first vehicle to land on another planet, Venus’ surface.

Facts about the hellish planet

One day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, while one year on the planet takes approximately 225 Earth days, according to NASA. It has a solid surface veiled by volcanoes, rifts, and mountains. Its thick atmosphere traps heat causing a runaway greenhouse effect.

Venus doesn’t have available living conditions for those who have a dream of moving from Earth to another planet. But some scientists think that microbes could exist in the planet’s clouds. The US-based space agency says: “Phosphine, a possible indicator of microbial life, has been observed in the clouds.”

WATCH: Venus in a minute