Russia Plans Venera-D Mission to Venus in 2036 With Lander, Orbiter, and Balloon Probe

Russia has announced that it intends to send its Venera-D mission to Venus in 2036. This mission will include a lander, a balloon probe, and an orbiter and is part of a series of robotic missions that Russia has planned for the moon and Venus, which “currently occupy a central place” in the plans of Roscosmos. This is a proud moment in the history of space exploration, and it seems that the competition to explore our closest neighbour is about to heat up.

Science in the Clouds and on the Surface

According to Space.com, the orbiter will circle Venus studying its surface from above, the balloon will float through its thick clouds to gather atmospheric data, and the lander will conduct detailed surface investigations. The main goal of this research project is to study microbial life in the clouds of Venus. Russia will work with NASA and ESA to conduct Venus exploration through their upcoming VERITAS and DAVINCI missions and EnVision project, which will provide major scientific resources for Venus research during the next ten years.

A Legacy Worth Revisiting

The Soviet Union is the only country that has managed to land a spacecraft on Venus and work on its surface. Since the Venera 7 mission in 1970, Soviet landers have managed to survive temperatures of 900 degrees Fahrenheit (480 degrees Celsius) and pressures 90 times greater than those on Earth at sea level, with a surface composed of volcanic rock and a yellowish hue. The “D” in Venera-D means “dolgozhivuschaya,” or “long-lived,” as it aims to live longer on the surface than the previous landers, which survived only a few hours.