The exploration of space is not resting. The great powers continue to expand their goals beyond our planet. This is the case with the Russians: Russia is actively planning its mission to Venus. Engineers from Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences have started development of the Venus-D automatic interplanetary station. It is the first in a series of missions on the planet since 2029.
Years of planning
“We start with the construction. An important meeting took place between the management of RAS and Roscosmos. We made a number of decisions, particularly about the Venus program, ”Lev Zelyony told TASS. He is the director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
The main contours of Russia’s Venera program will take shape during the design phase. The first phase of planetary exploration will be the launch of the Venus-D automatic interplanetary station. The project contractors are Lavochkin NPO and the Space Research Institute. Design planning can take two years, speculated Zelyony.
“We expect the first spacecraft to fly to Venus in 2029,” said the scientist. Russia would thus regain the initiative in the Venus inquiry. The program aims to bring the soil of the planet to earth. It is carried out after landing, exploring the area and examining the soil sample.
Fly alone
In 2020, Zelyony said Russia is planning a new Venus exploration program. This includes the launch of at least three scientific spacecraft. Venus-D would be the first expedition planned for the late 2020s.
Earlier, Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said Russia plans to send its own mission to Venus. They also have the United States-Russia joint Venus-D project. Roscosmos stressed that Russia is not opposed to cooperation with the United States on the Venus-D project. However, he plans to forego large-scale international cooperation on this mission. Russia plans its mission to Venus, but flies alone.
