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The Russian interplanetary program is
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reviving one of its most important
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planetary science directions, the
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exploration of Venus.
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The first large-scale Russian mission to
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the planet in several decades is the
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Venera D expedition, which means Vanera
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long living. It continues the Soviet
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legacy of the Venera 7 and Vanera 13
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spacecraft which made the first
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successful landings and transmitted
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surface images from Venus.
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Approved in 2025 as part of a national
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project, Vener will include advanced
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engineering solutions, autonomous
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operation, and multi-platform scientific
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These will include a lander, an orbiter,
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and two solar powered balloons designed
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to study the dense atmosphere of Venus.
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Venus presents major challenges as it is
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more than 38 million km from Earth at
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The Vener spacecraft weighing about 800
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kg will carry Russian-made scientific
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equipment that reflects the focus on
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technological independence after past
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international projects were cancelled.
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Originally planned with NASA and the
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European Space Agency, the mission is
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now fully Russian. It will use newly
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developed systems for data processing,
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transmission, and analysis. The lander
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will be able to withstand 470° C and a
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pressure about 92 times greater than
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This continues the tradition of short
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but valuable surface missions first
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attempted in the 20th century.
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The lander will carry advanced
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spectrometers to analyze surface
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minerals, chemicals, water related
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compounds, and isotopes.
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Instruments include the laser mass
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spectrometer, the MOS power
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spectrometer, and the active gamma
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neutron spectrometer.
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A new soil collection system may be the
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most advanced part since it must quickly
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collect samples under extreme heat and
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pressure. Data will be gathered only for
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a few hours before electronics fail due
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to the harsh environment.
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This trade-off is part of every Venus
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The atmospheric segment brings back
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ideas first tested by the Soviet Vega
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Two solar powered balloons will float 54
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to 56 km above Venus where temperatures
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are similar to Earth. However, the
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clouds there contain sulfur dioxide and
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sulfuric acid which are very corrosive.
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The larger 15 kg balloon will carry
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instruments to measure circulation,
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temperature, gases like carbon dioxide
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and water vapor, and isotopes linked to
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volcanic activity. The smaller 4 kg
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balloon will study cloud particles,
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wind, and lightning activity. Together,
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they may send back data for up to 20
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The orbiter is designed for years of
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operation and will map the entire
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planet. Its goal is to create the
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world's first three-dimensional thermal
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map of Venus from the surface to 170 km
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Instruments will study circulation,
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ultraviolet absorbers, and gases such as
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sulfur dioxide and ozone. Other tools
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will search for molecules like carbon
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monoxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen
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fluoride, and phosphine, which has been
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debated as a possible sign of life.
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Additional instruments will study the
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ionosphere, solar wind, and high energy
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particles escaping from Venus.
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Vener shows Russia's return to
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interplanetary exploration.
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In the Soviet era, Venus was explored
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almost every time with successful
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landings and panoramas.
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After the Soviet collapse, attention
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shifted to the moon and Mars. Now with
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modern electronics, lighter materials,
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and better data transmission, far more
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information can be collected than in the
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The heavy Angara A5M rocket is planned
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for launch in the early 2030s during
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favorable Earth Venus alignment windows.
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Other nations are also pursuing Venus
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NASA is working on Veraritoss to map the
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planet's geology and Da Vinci Plus to
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study the atmosphere and look for signs
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The European Space Agency is developing
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and vision to investigate tectonics and
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India's ISRO is planning Shukrion 1 to
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focus on atmospheric studies and radar
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imaging. Japan's Akatsuki has already
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been providing valuable cloud data since
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Compared with these, Venera D stands out
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by combining orbital, atmospheric, and
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While NASA and ESA focus mainly on
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orbital observations, Roscosmos
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emphasizes direct data from the surface
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and lower atmosphere.
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This approach follows the Soviet
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tradition of tough engineering solutions
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for extreme planetary environments.
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In short, Vener represents the rebirth
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of Russia's planetary exploration
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program. It combines Soviet legacy with
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modern space technology.
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If successful, it will reveal Venus's
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mysteries, continue Russia's deep space
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legacy, and place the country back in
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the international competition for
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interplanetary knowledge.
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