NASA announced two new missions to Venus on Wednesday that will launch at the end of the decade and are aimed at learning how Earth’s nearest planetary neighbour became a hellscape while our own thrived.
‘These two sister missions both aim to understand how Venus became an inferno-like world, capable of melting lead at the surface,’ said Bill Nelson, the agency’s newly-confirmed administrator.
‘They will offer the entire science community the chance to investigate a planet we haven’t been to in more than 30 years,’ he added.
The missions have been awarded about $500 million under NASA’s Discovery Programme, and each is expected to launch in the 2028-2030 timeframe.
