NASA has confirmed the schedules for two upcoming missions to Venus. The DAVINCI mission is now set to launch in December 2030, which is 54 weeks earlier than previously planned. The spacecraft will release an atmospheric descent probe on October 3, 2032, to capture direct images of the planet's surface.
The VERITAS mission is scheduled for launch in November 2032. This orbiter will utilize advanced radar technology to map the surface of Venus, with a focus on identifying active volcanic regions. The mission is expected to reach the planet by mid-2033, followed by an aerobraking phase before starting scientific observations.
These missions were previously threatened by budget constraints and the cancellation of other projects, such as the Mars Sample Return mission. NASA also withdrew from a partnership with the European Space Agency to provide a radar instrument for the Envision orbiter due to funding limitations.
In addition to NASA's efforts, Rocket Lab plans to launch a privately funded probe as early as late 2027 to search for organic material in the clouds of Venus. The European Space Agency continues its independent development of the Envision orbiter, which is also slated for a 2032 launch.
