First private mission to Venus delayed

Rocket Lab, which has been responsible for the first private mission to Venus, delayed this mission for some reasons.

According to Tekna technology and technology news service, Rocket Lab was supposed to start the first mission to Venus last month. But it seems that this mission will not be launched until January 2025. Of course, January 2025 is considered as the first launch window for this company’s probe. The reasons for the delay in this mission have not yet been determined. According to the explanation of the spokesperson of Rocket Lab, commercial missions are considered the priority of this company.

The purpose of the Lab rocket mission to Venus, which was announced for the first time in August 2020, is to study the atmosphere of this planet in search of the conditions required for life. Venus is called the infernal planet because of its high heat. The surface temperature of this planet is capable of melting lead. But there is evidence that the atmosphere of Venus, which has similar conditions to Earth, may have microbial life.

In 2020, scientists found signs of the presence of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus. Phosphine, which is a product of microbial life, is found in swamps on the surface of the earth. Finding this compound in the atmosphere of Venus caused a lot of excitement among scientists.

Rocketlab has proposed a very cheap probe for this mission. This probe will reach Venus before NASA spacecraft. In addition to the MIT University Rocket Lab, some benefactors are also present in this mission, who have borne the cost of this mission. The Lab rocket mission costs only one percent of NASA’s missions to Venus.