The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the launch schedule for its Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), marking India’s first dedicated mission to study the planet Venus and a major milestone in its planetary exploration programme.
The mission aims to conduct detailed studies of Venus’s dense atmosphere, surface geology and possible volcanic activity. Venus is of high scientific interest due to its extreme environment, marked by a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, sulphuric acid clouds and an intense greenhouse effect, offering valuable clues about planetary climate evolution.
Through VOM, scientists hope to gain deeper insights into atmospheric dynamics, cloud behaviour, trace gases and processes such as super-rotation. A key objective is to search for signs of active or recent volcanism using advanced radar and spectroscopic instruments capable of detecting surface changes and thermal anomalies.
The orbiter will carry a suite of indigenous and international scientific payloads to study the atmosphere, ionosphere, surface features and interactions with the solar wind. The mission builds on ISRO’s experience from Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission, highlighting India’s growing expertise in deep-space exploration.
Beyond science, the mission is expected to advance critical technologies such as spacecraft autonomy, thermal management and high-resolution radar imaging, further strengthening India’s position among leading space-faring nations.
