NASA's long-delayed Venus missions are back on track, with DAVINCI now scheduled for December 2030 and VERITAS for November 2032, following budget cuts that previously threatened one mission and derailed a European partnership. The resurgence includes ESA's Envision orbiter and a potential 2027 private probe by Rocket Lab, marking the first serious Venus exploration effort in over a generation since the last direct surface images in 1982.
Background
Venus exploration peaked in the 1970s-1980s with Soviet landers and NASA's Magellan orbiter, followed by a decades-long hiatus as priorities shifted to Mars and outer planets. Budget constraints and technical challenges had previously endangered NASA's return to Venus, making this recent mission revival significant for planetary science.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026 at 04:48 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10