Europe will go it alone on Venus mission after NASA yanks radar instrument
Europe is looking inward, and perhaps to China, as the White House tries to cancel some NASA partnerships.
Europe intends to proceed independently with its Venus mission after NASA decided it was improbable they would deliver the US-built radar instrument, according to the project scientist. The European spacecraft, named Envision, will generate a highly detailed map of the Venusian surface, ten times more refined than the radar mission NASA attempted in the 1990s.
Venus is cloaked in a thick cloud layer of sulfuric acid, making its surface invisible to optical cameras orbiting the planet; hence, radar technology is crucial to pierce through the clouds and unveil the hidden terrain beneath. Envision is designed to seek evidence of ongoing volcanic activity on Venus. Initially, NASA and ESA agreed to collaborate on the Envision project in 2024, with NASA promising to provide a US-made synthetic aperture radar instrument, essential for mapping Venus' surface, and NASA's Deep Space Network for tracking and communication support.
In return, ESA committed to incorporating US researchers into Envision's science team, constructing the spacecraft and other science instruments, and providing a launch using an Ariane 6 rocket.
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